An urgent search operation is underway for a Boeing 737 cargo aircraft with five crew members on board that lost contact with air traffic control suddenly on Tuesday evening.
The plane, registered in Pakistan, experienced a navigational system problem while en route from the United Arab Emirates to Karachi, Pakistan, before rapidly descending and going silent. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated that the aircraft dropped 5,000 feet in less than a minute, then climbed 6,000 feet in just 30 seconds before a final dive from 36,550 feet.
The last known data point placed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level with a steep vertical descent rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute, indicating an abnormal rate of descent at around 400 kilometers per hour.
Experts in aerospace safety are closely monitoring the situation, with Anthony Brickhouse stating that such extreme behavior requires further investigation for clarity. Imran Aslam, an aviation specialist, expressed confusion over the sudden disappearance from radar, noting that even in the event of an engine failure, an aircraft typically glides rather than descends abruptly.
Search efforts involving multiple agencies are underway to locate the missing plane at sea, as confirmed by the Pakistan Airports Authority.
The aircraft in question is a Boeing 737-400, originally delivered to Aeroflot in 1999 as a passenger plane and later converted to a freighter in 2012. It is the sole aircraft operated by K2 Airways and entered service with the carrier in 2024.
In a statement released by K2 Airways, the names of the crew members aboard the cargo plane were disclosed after communication was lost during the Sharjah to Karachi flight. The airline expressed full cooperation with authorities and ongoing search and rescue operations while maintaining hope for the safety of their colleagues.
The Pakistan Aerospace Council conveyed solidarity with K2 Airways and the crew, emphasizing support during the search mission and expressing optimism for positive outcomes from the search efforts.
