KARACHI, Pakistan — A major search and rescue operation is underway in the Arabian Sea after a K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo aircraft vanished from radar screens late Tuesday evening. The freighter, carrying five crew members, lost contact with air traffic control shortly after reporting critical technical difficulties.
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), the aircraft was en route from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to Karachi when the flight crew reported a severe navigational system malfunction at 21:18 PST.
Air traffic controllers at the Karachi Area Control Centre immediately attempted to guide the troubled flight. However, just three minutes later, at 21:21 PST, radar systems tracked the aircraft making a sharp heading change accompanied by a steep loss of altitude. Radio and radar contact were completely severed approximately 155 nautical miles (287 kilometers) west of Karachi, over the open waters of the Arabian Sea near Ormara, Balochistan.
An initial analysis of flight-path and telemetry data paints a harrowing picture of the flight’s final moments. The tracking data indicates that the Boeing 737 executed a sudden right turn followed by a rapid descent. The aircraft then experienced a brief, temporary climb—potentially indicating an aggressive attempt by the crew to recover the jet—before entering a final, catastrophic descent into the sea.
The PAA has activated the Rescue Coordination Centre and deployed a massive, multi-agency response force to locate the missing crew and wreckage.
Military and commercial assets have already converged on the last known coordinates of the aircraft:
- Naval Support: The Pakistan Navy has dispatched its multi-mission frigate, the PNS Zulfiqar, to spearhead the surface search.
- Airborne Reconnaissance: A Pakistan Air Force SAAB surveillance aircraft and a Pakistan Navy ATR maritime patrol plane have been launched to conduct aerial sweeps of the debris field.
- Commercial Aid: The Lahore, a commercial merchant vessel operated by the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, has been diverted to assist with search and rescue efforts.
The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation has been tasked with leading the upcoming inquiry into the technical failure. Built originally as a passenger jet in 1999 before its conversion to a freighter, the 27-year-old aircraft (registration AP-BOI) had been operating under Karachi-based K2 Airways since 2024.
No signs of survivors or debris have been publicly confirmed as the joint military and civilian sweep of the Arabian Sea continues into the morning.
UPDATE
Pakistan located wreckage of missing cargo plane off south coast, airport authority says.
