An urgent search operation is underway for a Boeing 737 cargo aircraft with five crew members on board following a sudden loss of communication with air traffic control late Tuesday.
The plane, registered in Pakistan, encountered a navigational system problem during its journey from the United Arab Emirates to Karachi, leading to a rapid descent and radio silence. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 indicates a dramatic series of altitude changes, with the aircraft dropping 5,000 feet in under a minute, then climbing 6,000 feet in just 30 seconds before descending from 36,550 feet.
The last known data point placed the plane at 1,100 feet above sea level, descending at an extremely steep rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute, equivalent to about 400 kilometers per hour.
Experts in aerospace safety and aviation have expressed concerns over the abrupt descent, highlighting the unusual nature of the event. Search and rescue efforts are being coordinated across various agencies to locate the missing aircraft, as the cause of its disappearance from radar remains unclear.
The Boeing 737-400, operated by K2 Airways, was originally a passenger plane delivered to Aeroflot in 1999 before being converted to a freighter in 2012. The aircraft, the sole one in K2 Airways’ fleet, commenced service with the airline in 2024.
K2 Airways has identified the crew members on board the missing aircraft and confirmed that search and rescue operations are ongoing with full cooperation from relevant authorities. The Pakistan Aerospace Council has extended its support to the airline and the crew’s families during this challenging time, emphasizing hopes for positive outcomes from the search efforts.
