A K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft traveling from Sharjah to Karachi on Tuesday night disappeared from radar over the Arabian Sea, about 300 kilometers west of Karachi.
Reportedly, the pilot had reported a navigation problem during the flight and requested assistance from the air traffic control. There were five crewmembers aboard the flight at the time it went missing, according to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA). It said the navigational system issue was reported at 9:18 p.m., with the Karachi Area Control Center providing prompt guidance.
However, said PAA, radar showed the aircraft “rapidly descending” at 9:21 p.m. and making a sharp change in heading. Subsequently, “radar contact and communication were lost,” it added.
“Preliminary ADS-B data indicate a loss of altitude, followed by a climb, and then a second, sudden and dramatic loss of altitude,” said flight-tracking service FlightRadar. It noted that the final received data from the aircraft showed it at 1,100 feet above mean sea level, with a vertical rate of -22,400 feet per minute.
After the plane went missing, authorities in Pakistan activated the Rescue Coordination Center, launching a search and rescue operation at sea. According to local media, both the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Air Force are helping in the search.
The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation will investigate the cause of the fault, said PAA.
K2 Airways is a private airline based in Karachi operated since 2018. It primarily serves as freight transport.