A Pakistan-registered cargo aircraft carrying five crew members went missing over the Arabian Sea on Tuesday night after reporting a navigation system malfunction while en route from Sharjah to Karachi, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said.
According to the PAA, the K2 Airways Boeing 737 cargo flight was flying from Sharjah to Karachi when, at 9:18 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time (PST), the crew reported a navigational system issue. Air traffic controllers at the Karachi Area Control Centre (ACC) immediately provided guidance to assist the aircraft.
However, at 9:21 p.m. PST, radar data showed the aircraft rapidly descending while making a sudden change in heading. Shortly afterward, both radar contact and communication with the aircraft were lost approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi.
The PAA said the Rescue Coordination Centre was immediately activated, and a coordinated search and rescue operation was launched in the Arabian Sea in collaboration with multiple agencies to locate the missing aircraft.
Authorities confirmed that five crew members were on board the cargo aircraft at the time of the incident.
Search efforts were continuing late Tuesday night, while officials had not yet released information about the identities of the crew or the possible cause of the reported navigation system malfunction. LORD
