Pakistan Launches Search After Cargo Plane Vanishes at Sea

Pakistan mobilized aircraft and naval assets Wednesday to investigate the disappearance of a cargo jet that lost communication with air traffic control while approaching Karachi Tuesday evening, confirmed military and aviation officials.

The Pakistan-registered Boeing 737, operated by Karachi-based carrier K2 Airways, departed from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, with a scheduled route to Karachi when it encountered navigational complications shortly after 9 p.m. local time, per the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.

Three minutes after reporting the malfunction, the aircraft entered a rapid descent, ultimately disappearing over the Arabian Sea, according to flight data analysis.

K2 Airways confirmed five crew members were aboard. In an official statement, the airline expressed solidarity, stating, “We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues.”

As of Wednesday morning, investigators have yet to determine the circumstances surrounding the plane’s vanishing or the status of its occupants.

The aircraft was positioned approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi when it lost all communication, according to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority.

Flight tracking service Flightradar24 data indicates the plane departed the Gulf of Oman en route to Pakistan, losing 5,000 feet of altitude in roughly one minute before momentarily ascending. It ultimately vanished near Karachi’s airspace.

The most recent available data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level, descending at 22,400 feet per minute — a rate approximating 255 miles per hour — before disappearing from radar.

Pakistan’s last major aviation incident occurred in 2020, when an Airbus A320 crashed into a Karachi neighborhood during a failed landing attempt, resulting in 97 fatalities. Another significant event occurred in 2016 when a Pakistan International Airlines aircraft crashed after an engine failure, killing 48 passengers.

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