Cargo Plane From UAE Vanishes Off Karachi Coast, Search Underway

A cargo plane carrying five crew members disappeared over the Arabian Sea late Tuesday night, prompting a large search and rescue operation off Pakistan's coast. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 operated by Karachi-based K2 Airways on a cargo flight from Sharjah in the UAE to Karachi. The missing plane has been identified as a Boeing 737-400 freighter registered as AP-BOI, operating as flight KTA1732. K2 Airways is a private cargo airline based in Karachi that was established in May 2018.  

Timeline of the incident

• The crew reported a navigation system problem to air traffic control at around 9:18 p.m. local time.  
• Radar data showed the aircraft rapidly descending and sharply changing heading around 9:21 p.m.  
• Shortly after, radar and radio contact were lost roughly 155 nautical miles (287 km) west of Karachi, over the Arabian Sea.  
• Flight-tracking data reviewed by Flightradar24 showed the aircraft first losing altitude, then climbing, before entering a second, steep descent. The last data point placed it at 1,100 feet with a vertical rate of roughly minus 22,400 feet per minute.  

Response underway

Pakistan's Rescue Coordination Center has been activated, and search and rescue operations were launched at sea through multiple agencies.  

• The Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Zulfiqar was diverted to the last known contact area. 
• The Pakistan Air Force deployed aircraft to assist in the search.  
• A Pakistan Navy ATR aircraft took off from Turbat to join the operation. 
• A Pakistan National Shipping Corp. merchant vessel has also joined the search.  

What's unclear

Aviation expert Imran Aslam told local ARY News that it remains unclear what caused the aircraft to vanish from radar. He noted that even an engine failure would typically cause a plane to glide rather than drop suddenly. Investigators will need to determine whether the reported navigation issue, other technical factors, weather, operational circumstances, or another cause played a role, since flight-tracking data alone cannot confirm the cause of an accident. Authorities have not yet confirmed a crash site or located any wreckage.