Plane mysteriously vanishes mid-flight after losing contact with air traffic control
A frantic search has been launched after a Boeing 737 lost contact with air traffic control off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan yesterday (7 July).
Five crew members were on board the flight operated by K2 Airways, a private cargo airline, which was flying from Sharjah, UAE to Karachi, Pakistan.
Prior to losing contact, the plane reported a navigational systems issue at 9.18pm local time.
FlightRadar data appears to show the plane rapidly descending shortly before 9.20pm local time.
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The plane dropped 5,000 feet in less than a minute, ascended 6,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, before appearing to drop 36,550 feet. Contact was lost at 9.21pm.
The Pakistan Airports Authority has confirmed a search and rescue operation is underway.
Sources told the Express Tribune that the Pakistan Navy had dispatched the PNS Zulfiqar to search the area, while a Pakistan Air Force Saab aircraft and a Pakistan Navy ATR aircraft were also dispatched.
Meanwhile, K2 Airways named the five crew members onboard as Mohammad Rizwan Idrees (Pilot in Command), Faisal Mehmood (First Officer), Muhammad Toufique Khan (Load Master), Arif Siddiqui (Engineer) and Mohammad Hamid (Engineer).
Aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse told The Guardian of the plane's sudden drop: "Anytime you see something extreme like that, it catches your eye, but it is too soon to say what any of it means without more information."
Meanwhile, aviation expert Imran Aslam told Pakistan news channel ARY News that the FlightRadar data raises several questions.
If the plane suffered engine failure, he said it should have continued to glide rather than making such a rapid descent.
He said: "I still cannot understand how the plane went down so abruptly instead of gliding."
The airline said in a statement: "K2 Airways' cargo aircraft Boeing 737-400 Registration AP-BOI, which was going from Sharjah to Karachi last night, lost contact with Air Traffic Control at about 21:21 hours according to Pakistan time.
"Search and Rescue operations are being conducted by the concerned organizations.
"K2 Airways is fully cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other government agencies.
"We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues."
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Airports Authority wrote on X: "K2 Airways B 737 of Pakistan Cargo Flight enroute from Sharjah to Karachi at time 2118PST reported Navigational system issue and was promptly guided by KARACHI ACC.
"However; at time 2121PST aircraft was observed on RADAR rapidly descending and with rapid heading change, subsequently RADAR contact and communication was lost approximately 155 NM west of Karachi.
"Following the occurrence RESCUE COORD CENTRE has been activated and coordinated Search & Rescue launched at sea through various agencies to locate the missing aircraft.
"There were five crew members onboard the aircraft."
Topics: World News
Simon Fearn