Pakistan Boeing Freighter Reports Navigation Anomaly, Loses Contact Off Karachi

ISLAMABAD (CNA KARACHI, Aug. 8) - Pakistani aviation authorities reported that a Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 freighter carrying five crew members lost contact with air traffic control after experiencing navigation system issues en route to Karachi yesterday evening.

According to Reuters, preliminary flight data from flight tracking service Flightradar24 indicated that the 27-year-old converted freighter, operated by K2 Airways and originating from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, may have crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi after a series of drastic altitude changes and a final steep descent.

The Pakistan Airports Authority stated on Facebook that relevant authorities have mobilized multiple agencies to launch a search and rescue operation at sea to locate the missing aircraft.

K2 Airways stated it is cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies, adding on Facebook, "We continue to pray earnestly for the safety of our colleagues."

Boeing has not yet responded to a request for comment.

The Pakistan Airports Authority said the aircraft reported navigation system issues at 9:18 PM Pakistan Standard Time while en route to Karachi.

The Pakistan Airports Authority noted that local air traffic control attempted to guide the aircraft, but three minutes later, radar systems showed the plane was descending rapidly, after which contact was lost. The statement indicated the flight was located approximately 287 kilometers west of Karachi at the time.

According to tracking data from Flightradar24, the aircraft experienced chaos in its final minutes, descending approximately 5,000 feet in less than a minute, then climbing about 6,000 feet in just 30 seconds, before a catastrophic plunge from 36,550 feet.

The last transmitted data point showed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level with a vertical descent rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute, equivalent to 400 kilometers per hour, an extremely steep and abnormal rate of descent.

The missing aircraft belongs to the 737 series, a model Boeing has produced for decades, but it is two generations older than the 737 MAX model that has recently faced safety scrutiny. The aircraft is powered by engines manufactured by CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and France's Safran.

According to Flightradar24 data, the 737-400 aircraft was first delivered to Aeroflot as a passenger jet in 1999 and was converted into a freighter in 2012.

This is K2 Airways' only aircraft and began operations in 2024. According to Flightradar24, prior to its last flight, the aircraft had not flown since June 28.

If fatalities are confirmed, this 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 all 97 people on board. The pilots were distracted by discussions about the novel coronavirus before the incident, leading to a failed landing attempt. (Compiled by Chang Hsiao-wen) 1150708

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