A Pakistani cargo aircraft carrying five crew members disappeared from radar while flying from the United Arab Emirates to Karachi on Tuesday night which prompted an extensive search and rescue operation in the Arabian Sea. According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), the aircraft, operated by K2 Airways, was on a scheduled cargo flight from Sharjah to Karachi when it reported a technical issue related to its navigation system.
Air traffic controllers immediately responded by providing assistance, but communication with the aircraft was lost just minutes later. Authorities have since launched a coordinated search operation involving multiple agencies to locate the missing aircraft and its crew.
Aircraft reported navigation issue before disappearing
The Pakistan Airports Authority said the cargo aircraft reported a navigational system malfunction at around 9.18 pm (local time) while it was en route to Karachi. Following the alert, Karachi Area Control Centre (ACC) established contact with the aircraft and began guiding the flight after the reported technical problem. However, within four minutes of the initial distress communication, the situation deteriorated rapidly.
Aircraft vanished from radar after sudden descent
In a statement shared on X, the PAA said that at around 9.22 pm, air traffic controllers noticed the aircraft making a rapid descent along with a sharp change in heading. "However, at 9.22 pm, the aircraft was observed on radar rapidly descending with a rapid heading change. Subsequently, radar contact and communication were lost approximately 155 NM west of Karachi," the authority said. The aircraft disappeared from radar roughly 155 nautical miles west of Karachi, raising fears of an accident over the sea.
Search and rescue operation launched
Soon after contact with the aircraft was lost, the Pakistan Airports Authority activated the Rescue Coordination Centre and initiated a large-scale search and rescue operation. According to the PAA, multiple agencies have been mobilised to carry out search efforts in the sea to trace the missing aircraft. "There were five crew members onboard the aircraft," the authority confirmed.
Officials have not yet released the identities of those on board, and no information has been shared regarding the possible cause of the aircraft's sudden descent beyond the reported navigational system issue.
