The wreckage of a K2 Airways Boeing 737 cargo plane has been recovered from the Arabian Sea after a 12-hour search, following its disappearance en route from Sharjah to Karachi.
The wreckage of a K2 Airways cargo plane that went missing off the coast of Pakistan has been located and recovered from the Arabian Sea, while search efforts continue for the five crew members who remain missing.
Pakistan’s Airports Authority said the Boeing 737 cargo aircraft, operating as K2 Airways flight KTA1732, departed from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and was en route to Karachi when it reported a navigation system problem before losing contact with air traffic control late Tuesday.
According to the authority, the aircraft rapidly descended and lost radar and radio contact at about 9:21 p.m. local time (16:21 GMT), approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi.
After a 12-hour search operation involving the Pakistan Navy, the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA), and civilian air and sea assets, the wreckage was located about 53 nautical miles south of Ormara in the Arabian Sea. Ormara is located around 360 kilometers west of Karachi.
Officials said search and rescue operations are continuing for the five crew members who were on board the aircraft. Three officials familiar with the operation said the vast search area and rough monsoon seas have posed significant challenges to the rescue effort.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sympathy with the families of the missing crew members and directed authorities to deploy all available resources for the ongoing search.
In a statement, K2 Airways identified the missing crew as Capt. Muhammad Rizwan Idris, First Officer Faisal Jatoi, flight engineers Muhammad Hamid and Muhammad Arif Siddiqui, and aircraft loader Muhammad Taufiq Khan.
Aviation expert Imran Aslam said it remains unclear what caused the aircraft to disappear from radar, noting that even in the event of an engine failure, an aircraft would normally continue gliding rather than descend suddenly. He said investigators would determine the cause after gathering more evidence.