Cargo plane with five board missing off Pakistan coast after losing radar contact. Photo Shutterstock A cargo aircraft operated by K2 Airways has gone missing over the Arabian Sea after experiencing a navigation system issue while en route from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to Karachi, prompting a large-scale search-and-rescue operation.
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), the Boeing 737 freighter reported a navigation system problem at 9:18 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time (PST) while en route to Karachi.
Cargo plane goes missing in Sea of Arabia. Photo: nsectWorld / Shutterstock.comAir traffic controllers at the Karachi Area Control Centre immediately began assisting the crew.
However, just three minutes later, at 9:21 p.m. PST, controllers observed the aircraft making a rapid descent accompanied by a sudden change in heading before radar and radio contact were lost.
The aircraft disappeared from radar approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi, the PAA said.
Following the incident, the Rescue Coordination Centre activated a coordinated search and rescue mission involving multiple agencies to locate the missing aircraft.
The authority confirmed that five crew members were on board at the time contact was lost.
The aircraft was operating as a Pakistan cargo flight from Sharjah to Karachi.
The Pakistan Airports Authority has not released any information on the identities of the crew or the cause of the navigation system issue. The search operation remains ongoing as authorities work to locate the aircraft and its crew.
UPDATE:
After 12 hours of Search & Rescue operations in deep sea, Pakistani authorities "successfully located and identified wreckage of K2 Airways Cargo B737 which was declared missing last night." The wreckage was found 53 NM South of ORMARA. Efforts are still underway to find the five missing crew members.