Pakistani search and rescue teams continued operations on Wednesday in the Arabian Sea after a Boeing cargo jet disappeared from radar while on approach to Karachi, officials said. The aircraft, a 27-year-old 737-400 converted to a freighter, was carrying five crew members when air traffic control lost contact hours after the crew reported a navigational system issue.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed authorities to accelerate the search and rescue effort for the freighter, which went missing following the navigational alert. K2 Airways, the operator of the aircraft, specified the onboard personnel as two pilots, two engineers and one support staff member. Authorities have not issued an official declaration on the crew’s condition, and the prime minister conveyed his "heartfelt condolences" to the families.
The Pakistan Airports Authority said local air traffic control received the aircraft's navigational-system problem report at 9:18 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time (1618 GMT) while the flight was bound for Karachi. Controllers attempted to assist the crew, but about three minutes after the initial alert radar showed the airplane rapidly descending and communication was lost. At that time the flight was roughly 155 nautical miles (287 km) west of Karachi, the authority said.
Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 provided a detailed sequence of the flight's final minutes that suggested chaotic altitude changes. According to that tracking data, the aircraft plunged roughly 5,000 feet in under a minute, then climbed about 6,000 feet within 30 seconds, before beginning a steep final dive from an altitude of 36,550 feet. The last transmitted datapoint placed the jet at 1,100 feet above sea level with a vertical descent rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute - approximately 400 kilometres per hour - a rate described as extremely steep and abnormal.
Pakistan Airports Authority said a coordinated search and rescue operation at sea has been launched involving multiple agencies. K2 Airways stated it is cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government bodies involved in the response. Boeing had not issued any comment at the time authorities released their initial statements.
The missing aircraft is one of Boeing's older 737-400 models, originally delivered as a passenger jet to Russia's Aeroflot in 1999 and converted to a freighter in 2012, according to the tracking service's data. The freighter, which is K2 Airways' sole aircraft, entered service with the carrier in 2024. Flightradar24 records indicate the aircraft's previous flight occurred on June 28.
Summary
Pakistani authorities are conducting an expanded maritime search after a 27-year-old Boeing 737-400 freighter, carrying five crew members, went missing following a navigational-system alert while en route to Karachi. Flight-tracking data show extreme altitude variations and a final, very steep descent. Coordination among civil aviation authorities, the carrier and multiple agencies is ongoing. No official confirmation on the fate of those on board has been released.
- Key points
- K2 Airways' single 737-400 freighter reported a navigational-system problem at 9:18 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time (1618 GMT) while approaching Karachi.
- Flightradar24 tracking showed rapid and abnormal altitude changes before a catastrophic dive, with the last datapoint at 1,100 feet and a vertical rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute.
- Authorities launched a coordinated maritime search; K2 Airways is cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority. Boeing has not commented.
- Sectors impacted
- Aviation and air cargo - operational safety and carrier fleet considerations.
- Aerospace manufacturing - technical scrutiny of aging airframes and engine systems.
- Regulatory and search-and-rescue services - emergency response and investigation resources.
- Risks and uncertainties
- The current status of the five crew members is unknown; authorities have made no official confirmation on their condition.
- The exact cause of the navigational-system problem and the sequence of altitude changes remains undetermined pending investigation.
- The aircraft is an older generation 737-400, converted to a freighter, and detailed technical factors related to its age or maintenance history are not provided in official statements.
Authorities continue search efforts in the area southwest of Karachi where radar and tracking data indicate the aircraft likely entered the sea. Further official updates were awaited as coordinated maritime operations continued.