A Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo plane carrying five crew members vanished from radar screens Tuesday night after reporting navigational system problems en route to Karachi. The aircraft operated by K2 Airways experienced a series of sharp altitude changes before disappearing southwest of Karachi in the Arabian Sea.
Key Takeaways
Pakistani rescuers have located submerged wreckage from a cargo plane that disappeared on approach to Karachi. The search continues for the five crew members who were on board.
- Wreckage found 53 nautical miles south of Ormara port
- Five crew members still missing
- Aircraft experienced drastic altitude changes before disappearing
- Search efforts involve navy ships, aircraft, and civilian teams
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▼Source Claims Check
High ConsensusAll 7 publishers report consistent facts across 4 key claims.
| Claim | Status | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wreckage Found | Broad Agreement | Wreckage located 53 nautical miles south of Ormara port | |
| Crew Members | Broad Agreement | Five crew members still missing | |
| Altitude Changes | Broad Agreement | Aircraft experienced drastic altitude changes before disappearing | |
| Search Efforts | Broad Agreement | Search involves navy ships, aircraft, and civilian teams |
Wreckage Found
Broad AgreementWreckage located 53 nautical miles south of Ormara port
Crew Members
Broad AgreementFive crew members still missing
Altitude Changes
Broad AgreementAircraft experienced drastic altitude changes before disappearing
Search Efforts
Broad AgreementSearch involves navy ships, aircraft, and civilian teams
This analysis is AI-generated and may not perfectly represent each source's reporting. Always read the original articles for full context.
The flight tracking service Flightradar24 reported that the 27-year-old converted freighter plunged about 5,000 feet in less than a minute before surging back some 6,000 feet in just 30 seconds. The last transmitted data point placed the aircraft at an extremely steep and abnormal descent rate of minus 22,400 feet per minute.
Search and rescue operations are underway through various agencies to locate the missing plane. K2 Airways confirmed it is cooperating with aviation authorities but did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. The crew comprised two pilots, two engineers, and one support staffer.
The aircraft was flying over the Arabian Sea near Ormara in Balochistan when contact was lost at approximately 9:18pm local time (16:18 GMT). Security sources told Al Jazeera that a Pakistani navy ship, a merchant vessel operated by the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, and two navy aircraft are taking part in the search.
The missing plane is part of Boeing's decades-old 737 family and had entered service with K2 Airways earlier this year after being converted to a freighter in 2012. The aircraft was first delivered as a passenger plane to Russia's Aeroflot in 1999 before changing hands multiple times. It is the only aircraft in K2 Airways' fleet.
Pakistani rescuers have located submerged wreckage from the cargo plane that disappeared on approach to Karachi. Navy and civilian searchers discovered remnants of the K2 Airways cargo Boeing 737 on Wednesday in the Arabian Sea, 53 nautical miles (98 km) south of Ormara port. Retired Rear Admiral Faisal Shah told the Associated Press that the main wreckage of the plane was still being searched for and could require specialised deep-sea equipment to locate.
The aircraft had reported a problem with its navigational system shortly after 9:18 pm Pakistani Standard Time (16:18 GMT). Air traffic control lost communication after it began to descend rapidly. Data from flight-tracking service Flightradar24 recorded drastic changes in the plane’s altitude, with it plunging, then climbing thousands of feet within seconds and entering a final dive from 36,550 feet (11,140 metres).
K2 Airways identified the five missing crew members as pilot Muhammad Rizwan Idris, co-pilot Faisal Jatoi, flight engineers Muhammad Hamid and Muhammad Arif Siddiqui, and aircraft loader Muhammad Taufiq Khan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sympathy with the crew’s families and directed the government to deploy all available resources for the search.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 7 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.