Search-and-rescue teams were deployed after a Boeing 737 cargo aircraft disappeared while approaching Karachi | X
Karachi, July 8, 2026: A Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo aircraft with five crew members on board lost contact with air traffic control on Tuesday night after reporting a navigational system problem while flying to Karachi, Pakistan aviation authorities said. The aircraft, a 27-year-old converted freighter operated by K2 Airways from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, was en route to Karachi when it reported the issue at 9.18 pm Pakistan Standard Time (16.18 GMT).According to the Pakistan Airports Authority, air traffic controllers attempted to guide the aircraft, but communication was lost three minutes later after radar showed it descending rapidly. The plane was about 287 km west of Karachi when contact was lost, Reuters reported.Search Operation Underway
The Pakistan Airports Authority said a coordinated search-and-rescue operation involving multiple agencies had been launched to locate the missing aircraft.
Early flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated the aircraft may have crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi after a series of sharp altitude changes followed by a steep descent.Tracking data showed the aircraft dropped about 5,000 feet in less than a minute before climbing 6,000 feet in 30 seconds. It then entered a dive from 36,550 feet. The last transmitted position placed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level, with a vertical descent rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute, about 400 kmph, an unusually steep rate of descent.“Any time 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 Anthony Brickhouse, an aerospace safety consultant.Airline Cooperating With ProbeK2 Airways said it was cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies.“We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues,” the aircraft operator said on Facebook.Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The missing aircraft belongs to Boeing’s decades-old 737 family and is two generations older than the 737 MAX, which was involved in a recent safety crisis.Also Watch:
It is the only aircraft operated by K2 Airways and entered service with the airline in 2024. According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft had not flown since June 28 before its final flight.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/