https://arab.news/8rnzw
- Aircraft disappeared west of Karachi after reporting navigation system issue
- The cargo flight was traveling from Sharjah to Karachi with five crew aboard
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani cargo carrier K2 Airways said in the early hours of Wednesday it was cooperating with aviation authorities and other government agencies after one of its aircraft disappeared over the Arabian Sea with five crew members on board while flying from Sharjah to Karachi.
K2 Airways is a Karachi-based private cargo airline that operates domestic and international freight services. Its Boeing 737-400 freighter vanished late on Tuesday after reporting a navigation system issue, prompting Pakistani authorities to launch a multi-agency search and rescue operation west of the country’s southern coast.
“K2 Airways is fully cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies,” the airline said in a statement posted on its official Facebook page.
“We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues,” it added.
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said the Boeing 737 cargo flight reported a navigation system issue at 9:18 p.m. Pakistan time and was promptly guided by Karachi Area Control Center.
However, at 9:21 p.m., the aircraft was observed on radar rapidly descending and making a sharp change in heading before radar and radio contact were lost about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi, according to the authority.
“Following the occurrence ... coordinated Search & Rescue was launched at sea through various agencies to locate the missing aircraft,” the PAA said.
According to official sources, the search operation includes Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Zulfiqar, Pakistan Air Force assets, a Pakistan Navy ATR aircraft operating from Turbat and the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation merchant vessel Lahore.
The cause of the aircraft’s disappearance was not immediately known, and authorities had not announced any breakthrough in the search by the time of publication.