A private cargo aircraft flying from Sharjah to Karachi has gone missing after reporting a navigation system malfunction during flight, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation in the Arabian Sea.
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), the missing aircraft was a K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 cargo plane operating as flight KTA1732. The aircraft, registered as AP-BOI, was returning from Sharjah to Karachi with five crew members on board.
PAA spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft reported a navigation system fault at 9:18 p.m. while flying on airway G216, approximately 150 nautical miles south of Karachi. Air traffic controllers immediately provided navigational assistance and instructed the crew to maintain their current heading.
However, moments later, the aircraft unexpectedly turned to the right and began a rapid descent. Flight data indicated a descent rate of nearly 15,000 feet per minute, raising concerns about a possible in-flight emergency.
Despite repeated attempts by Karachi Air Traffic Control to re-establish contact, the crew did not respond. At 9:21 p.m., the aircraft disappeared from radar approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi, with both radar tracking and radio communication lost simultaneously.
The PAA said its Rescue Coordination Center was activated immediately after contact was lost. A search and rescue mission involving multiple agencies has been launched in the Arabian Sea to locate the missing aircraft and its crew.
Officials confirmed that five crew members were on board the cargo aircraft.
According to aviation sources, the aircraft had recently undergone repairs in Sharjah after developing a technical fault. It reportedly remained in Sharjah for five days before departing for Karachi on a ferry flight, meaning it was flying without cargo.
Sources further claimed that the maintenance work in Sharjah was carried out by a company identified as Northern Techniques. However, authorities have not officially commented on the maintenance details or whether they are linked to the incident.
The cause of the aircraft’s disappearance has not yet been determined, and aviation authorities are expected to launch a formal investigation once the aircraft is located.