Like a scene from an aviation thriller, a Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo aircraft vanished from radar over the Arabian Sea on Tuesday night in under three minutes, after reporting a navigation system malfunction while approaching Karachi, triggering a large-scale search-and-rescue operation.
The aircraft, operated by Karachi-based K2 Airways, was flying from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates with five crew members on board when it alerted air traffic control to the navigation issue at around 9:18 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time. Minutes later, contact was lost.
The Pakistan-registered freighter, carrying five crew members, lost contact with air traffic control after reporting a navigational system problem on its way to Karachi from Sharjah in the UAE. The flight crew reported the malfunction at approximately 9:18 pm local time while roughly 155 nautical miles from Karachi, and controllers at the Karachi Area Control Centre attempted to guide the aircraft.
Just three minutes later, at 9:21 pm PST, radar systems tracked the aircraft making a sharp heading change accompanied by a steep loss of altitude, before radio and radar contact were completely severed roughly 155 nautical miles (287 kilometres) west of Karachi, over open waters near Ormara, Balochistan.
Preliminary Flightradar24 data suggests the 27-year-old Boeing 737-400 freighter may have crashed into the Arabian Sea after an erratic final flight path. The aircraft reportedly lost 5,000 feet, climbed nearly 6,000 feet within seconds, and then plunged from 36,550 feet. Its last recorded position showed it at 1,100 feet, descending at 22,400 feet per minute.
Aviation experts urged caution, saying it is too early to determine the cause. Aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse described the flight profile as unusual, while aviation expert Imran Aslam noted that even after an engine failure, aircraft typically glide rather than descend so rapidly.
The Pakistan Navy dispatched its multi-mission frigate, PNS Zulfiqar, to lead the surface search, while a Pakistan Air Force SAAB surveillance aircraft and a Navy ATR maritime patrol plane conducted aerial sweeps. A commercial vessel, the Lahore, operated by the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, was also diverted to assist. The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation has been tasked with leading the inquiry into the technical failure. As of Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, no signs of survivors or debris had been publicly confirmed.