PAKISTAN'S aviation authorities have launched an extensive air and maritime search after a Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo aircraft disappeared while nearing Karachi, with preliminary flight data indicating the freighter may have crashed into the Arabian Sea after suffering a reported navigation system failure.
The aircraft, operated by Karachi-based private cargo carrier K2 Airways, was travelling from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Karachi on Tuesday night when it encountered difficulties approximately 287 kilometres west of its destination.
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority, the crew reported a navigational system problem at 9.18pm Pakistan Standard Time while approaching Karachi. Air traffic controllers immediately attempted to assist the flight, but communications were lost just three minutes later after radar indicated the aircraft had entered a rapid descent.
The BBC reported today that a coordinated search-and-rescue mission involving multiple government agencies, including the Pakistan Navy and Air Force, has since been launched to locate the missing aircraft and its five crew members.
K2 Airways confirmed it is working closely with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies as efforts continue.
"We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues," the airline said in a statement.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft displaying highly unusual flight behaviour shortly before contact was lost. The converted freighter reportedly descended by approximately 5,000 feet in less than a minute before climbing around 6,000 feet within 30 seconds, followed by a dramatic plunge from an altitude of 36,550 feet.
The aircraft's final transmitted position placed it at just 1,100 feet above sea level, descending at a vertical rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute, an exceptionally steep and abnormal rate rarely seen during controlled flight.
"Anytime you see something extreme like that, it catches your eye, but it is too soon to say what any of it means without more information," said aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse.
The missing aircraft is a 27-year-old converted Boeing 737 freighter from an earlier generation of the aircraft family and is unrelated to the newer 737 MAX series that was at the centre of previous global safety concerns.
The aircraft entered service with K2 Airways in 2024 and is currently the airline's only aircraft. Flight-tracking records indicate it had not operated any flights since 28 June before departing Sharjah on its final scheduled service.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the incident, and no wreckage or survivors had been located at the time of reporting as the search operation continued.
The disappearance marks Pakistan's most significant aviation emergency since the 2020 Pakistan International Airlines crash near Karachi, in which 97 of the 99 people on board lost their lives after the aircraft crashed during its approach to the city's airport. - July 8, 2026
