ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

JULY 8, 2026 22:59

Pakistani rescue teams located the debris of a Boeing cargo aircraft during a deep-sea operation on Wednesday, twelve hours following its disappearance off Karachi's coast. Efforts continue to locate the five crew members aboard, officials reported.

Debris from the K2 Airways cargo Boeing 737 was found 53 nautical miles (98 km) south of Ormara port, according to the Pakistan Airports Authority.

The Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency sent out multiple air and sea assets to recover the remains, officials noted, while the search for the crew members remains active.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed agencies to accelerate the search for the 27-year-old converted freighter, which vanished in the Arabian Sea after signaling a navigational issue.

K2 Airways reported that the crew included two pilots, two engineers and one support staff member. No formal statement on their condition has been issued, though Sharif conveyed his sincere sympathies to the families.

The aircraft likely plunged into the sea southwest of Karachi after multiple sharp altitude shifts followed by a steep final drop, Flightradar24 data indicated.

Authorities initiated a joint search and rescue effort at sea involving several agencies, the airports authority confirmed. K2 Airways stated it is working with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other officials. Boeing has not issued a statement yet.

Plane reported navigational system problem

The aircraft signaled a navigational issue at 9:18 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time (1618 GMT) while heading toward Karachi, the airports authority said.

Local controllers attempted to assist, but radar showed rapid descent three minutes later and contact was lost, the authority added. The flight was roughly 155 nautical miles (287 km) west of Karachi at that moment.

Flightradar24 tracking showed erratic final moments, with the plane dropping about 5,000 feet in under a minute, climbing 6,000 feet in 30 seconds, then entering a severe dive from 36,550 feet.

The final data point showed the aircraft at 1,100 feet above sea level with a vertical rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute at around 400 kilometers per hour, an unusually steep descent.

Aircraft entered service with K2 Airways in 2024

The missing plane is a decades-old Boeing 737-400, two generations prior to the 737 MAX models tied to recent safety concerns. It is powered by CFM International engines, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and France's Safran.

The 737-400 was originally delivered as a passenger jet to Russia's Aeroflot in 1999 and converted to a freighter in 2012, Flightradar24 records show. It is K2 Airways' sole aircraft and began operations with the airline in 2024. Its prior flight occurred on June 28.

Pakistan's first fatal crash since 2020

The event marks Pakistan's first fatal crash since 2020, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 crashed short of the runway in Karachi and claimed 97 lives.