According to Reuters, the Pakistan Air Force stated that on the evening of July 7, a Boeing 737 cargo plane registered in Pakistan lost contact with air traffic control after reporting a navigation system malfunction during its flight from Sharjah, UAE, to Karachi. There were five crew members on board.
The Pakistan Airport Authority stated that the aircraft reported a navigation system issue at 9:18 PM on Pakistan Standard Time, with its location about 155 nautical miles (287 kilometers) west of Karachi.
According to Flightradar24, early flight data shows that the aircraft experienced a series of sudden altitude changes, and eventually descended steeply, possibly falling into the waters south of Karachi.
Flight data shows that after reporting a fault, the aircraft dropped sharply after a slight climb.
The Pakistan Airport Authority stated that the Pakistani government has coordinated various agencies to carry out maritime search and rescue operations in order to locate the missing aircraft.
K2 Airlines says it is cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies in search efforts.
This modified cargo aircraft is model 737-400, operated by K2 Airways in Pakistan. It has a service life of 27 years. According to Flightradar24, this aircraft was first delivered as a passenger aircraft to a Russian airline in 1999, and was converted into a cargo aircraft in 2012. This is the only aircraft owned by K2 Airways, and it will be put into operation for the airline starting in 2024.
Boeing did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
