‘Dropped 35,000 feet in 2 minutes’: Plane with 5 on board goes missing off Karachi

Pakistan’s airport authority said search and rescue operations were immediately launched in the Arabian Sea (Generative image)

A major search operation was launched off Pakistan’s southern coast after a cargo aircraft carrying five crew members disappeared from radar while approaching Karachi on Tuesday night. The aircraft reportedly developed a navigation problem before rapidly losing altitude and vanishing over the Arabian Sea, prompting an urgent multi-agency rescue effort.The missing aircraft, a Boeing 737 operated by Karachi-based K2 Airways, was flying from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Karachi when it reported a navigation system malfunction at around 9.18 pm local time, according to Pakistan’s airport authority.Officials said radar data showed the aircraft suddenly descending and making a sharp change in direction at around 9.21 pm. Moments later, both radar and radio contact were lost about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi.Pakistan’s airport authority said search and rescue operations were immediately launched in the Arabian Sea after the aircraft went missing. The cause of the disappearance has not yet been established.Authorities activated the country’s Rescue Coordination Center and deployed military and civilian resources to trace the aircraft.According to officials, the Pakistan Navy diverted its frigate PNS Zulfiqar to the area where contact was lost. The Pakistan Air Force also deployed aircraft, while a Pakistan Navy ATR aircraft flew from Turbat to assist in the search. A merchant vessel of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation was also dispatched to join the operation.Aviation expert Imran Aslam said the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s disappearance appeared unusual and required a detailed investigation.“I still cannot understand how the plane went down so abruptly instead of gliding,” he told ARY News, noting that aircraft experiencing engine failure would normally continue gliding rather than descend sharply.K2 Airways describes itself as a private cargo airline based in Karachi that was established in May 2018.The latest incident has revived memories of one of Pakistan’s worst aviation disasters. In May 2020, a Pakistan International Airlines passenger aircraft carrying 98 people crashed into a residential neighbourhood near Karachi airport during landing. All but one person on board died. A subsequent government investigation concluded that human error by the pilot, co-pilot and air traffic control contributed to the crash.