Search and rescue efforts continued on Wednesday for a K2 Airways cargo aircraft that went missing over the Arabian Sea while flying from Sharjah to Karachi, with five crew members on board.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities to further intensify the rescue operation, while an 11-member team of the Bureau of Safety Investigation arrived in Karachi from Islamabad and launched a formal investigation.
According to the airline and aviation authorities, the Boeing 737 cargo plane was flying from Sharjah to Karachi when it lost contact with air traffic control at 9:21pm on the night of July 7.
The aircraft was reportedly returning to Karachi on a ferry flight after being sent to Sharjah for repairs following a technical fault.
The Pakistan Airports Authority said the aircraft reported a navigational system problem at 9:18pm Pakistan Standard Time while heading towards Karachi.
Local air traffic control attempted to guide the aircraft, but three minutes later, radar showed the plane descending rapidly before communication was lost.
Last contact made west of Karachi
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority and the private cargo company’s management, the last contact with the aircraft was made about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi.
The aircraft was around 287 kilometres from Karachi at the time, according to the official statement.
The plane is feared to have crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi, near the Ormara side, though authorities have not officially declared the status of those on board.
Five crew members on board
According to K2 Airways, the plane was carrying five crew members, including two pilots, two engineers and one support staffer.
The airline identified the crew as pilot Rizwan Idrees, first officer Faisal Mahmood, loadmaster Tawfiq Khan, engineer Arif Siddiqui and Muhammad Hamid.
Other reports also referred to the first officer as Faisal Jatoi. The names Rizwan Idrees, Faisal Jatoi, Tawfiq Khan, Muhammad Arif and Muhammad Hamid were also mentioned in details shared about the search operation.
Authorities have not made any official declaration about the crew’s condition.
Search operation underway at sea
A joint search and rescue operation is underway in the Arabian Sea to locate the missing cargo aircraft.
The Pakistan Airports Authority, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force, Coast Guards and other relevant agencies are taking part in the operation.
Pakistan Navy warships PNS Zulfiqar and PNS Hunain are also part of the search effort, while Pakistan Navy aircraft are assisting from the air.
Also Read: Pakistan’s cargo plane crashes near Karachi; 5 on board
The Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation are also involved in the coordinated rescue operation.
Pakistan International Airlines has offered all possible cooperation in the search and rescue operation. PIA said the Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force and other agencies were actively engaged in the relief operation.
The national carrier also expressed solidarity with the affected families and appreciated the services of all agencies participating in the rescue effort.
Investigation team reaches Karachi
The Bureau of Safety Investigation has formed an 11-member team to probe the incident. The team reached Karachi from Islamabad and is expected to visit the offices of the private airline.
According to officials, the investigation team will review the aircraft’s operational records, maintenance logs, flight plan, crew details and other relevant documents.
The team will also collect evidence from rescue teams working near the presumed crash site.
Black box recovery becomes key focus
Rescue teams searching for the missing aircraft are waiting to receive signals from the plane’s black box.
Aviation experts say the recovery of the black box is the most important part of the search because the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder can help determine what happened in the aircraft’s final moments.
The full situation is expected to become clear only after the flight recorder and cockpit voice recorder are found and examined.
Experts say the underwater locator beacon installed in a black box activates automatically when it comes into contact with water. The beacon, also known as a ULB, emits audio signals at 37.5 kHz.
A short “ping” is transmitted every second from the underwater locator beacon.
If the battery is fully functional, the signal can continue for around 30 days. In modern aircraft, experts say the ULB battery can work continuously for up to 90 days.
Sea conditions can affect signal detection
Experts say the black box signal may weaken if the recorder sinks into debris or soft mud.
If the sea is calm, a search ship may be able to detect the signal from two to three nautical miles away.
However, water temperature, background noise, depth and strong waves can reduce that range.
Search vessels usually pass through the sea in different directions and compare the strength of the signals to narrow down the location of the black box.
Aviation experts also say investigations into maritime aircraft accidents are often affected by weather, waves and water depth.
Data shows sharp altitude changes
According to flight-tracking service Flightradar24, the plane may have crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi after a series of sharp altitude changes and a steep final descent.
The final minutes of tracking data appeared chaotic.
The data showed the aircraft plunging about 5,000 feet in less than a minute, then climbing around 6,000 feet in 30 seconds before entering a catastrophic dive from 36,550 feet.
The last transmitted data point placed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level, with a vertical rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute, or around 400 kilometres per hour.
This was described as an extremely steep and abnormal rate of descent.
Aircraft was decades-old Boeing 737-400
The missing aircraft is a Boeing 737-400, a decades-old model and two generations older than the Boeing 737 MAX. The aircraft used engines made by CFM International, a company jointly owned by GE Aerospace and France’s Safran.
According to Flightradar24, the 27-year-old aircraft was first delivered as a passenger plane to Russia’s Aeroflot in 1999. It was converted into a freighter in 2012 and entered service with K2 Airways in 2024.
The aircraft was K2 Airways’ only plane, and its previous flight was on June 28, according to Flightradar24 data. Boeing has not yet commented on the incident.
President, PM express concern
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep concern and sorrow over the disappearance of the cargo plane.
They expressed heartfelt sympathy and solidarity with the families of the crew members during this difficult time.
Both leaders prayed for the well-being of the crew and expressed hope for the success of the search and rescue operation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also directed authorities to speed up and intensify rescue efforts.
Search may remain challenging
Experts say locating wreckage in the sea can be a difficult and time-consuming process, especially when the aircraft goes down in deep waters.
They said the truth about the incident will be known only after the wreckage and flight recorders are recovered.
Aviation experts noted that some searches for missing aircraft have continued for years, citing the example of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared in 2014 and remains a mystery.
If confirmed as fatal, the incident would be Pakistan’s first fatal air crash since 2020, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 crashed short of the runway in Karachi, killing 97 people.
