Pakistan Cargo Plane With 5 Onboard Vanishes Off Karachi Coast After Take-off From UAE, Search Ops Launched

A Pakistani cargo aircraft carrying five crew members disappeared off the coast of Karachi after losing contact with air traffic control shortly after departing from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation in the Arabian Sea.

Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said K2 Airways Cargo flight 737 AP-BOI went missing late on Tuesday night. Search teams were immediately deployed after communication with the aircraft was lost while it was flying west of Karachi.

Before contact was lost, the crew reported a navigation system malfunction, raising concerns about the aircraft’s ability to continue the flight safely. Authorities said investigations and search efforts are continuing as they work to determine the fate of the aircraft and those on board.

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Aircraft Reported Navigation Issue

According to the CAA, the crew informed air traffic controllers of a navigation system problem at around 9:18 p.m. local time.

Radar data indicated that the aircraft then began losing altitude rapidly before making a sharp turn just minutes later. Officials said communication with the plane ended at approximately 9:21 p.m. when it was about 155 nautical miles (287 kilometres) west of Karachi.

The aircraft had five crew members on board at the time it disappeared.

K2 Airways #KTA1732 is reportedly missing. Preliminary ADS-B data indicate a possible crash in the sea southwest of Karachi. https://t.co/IIMDHaGTAy pic.twitter.com/KbyI5kKmh1

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) July 7, 2026

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Flight Data Showed Dramatic Changes In Altitude

Flight tracking platform Flightradar24 reported that the aircraft’s final recorded flight path showed unusual altitude changes before contact was lost.

According to the tracking data, the aircraft first experienced a loss of altitude, followed by a climb, before entering a second, sudden and severe descent. The final transmission was received at 16:21 UTC, placing the aircraft at 1,100 feet above mean sea level (AMSL), with a reported vertical descent rate of 22,400 feet per minute.

The flight tracking data aligns with information released by Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority, although authorities have not yet determined the cause of the incident.

Search and rescue teams remain deployed in the Arabian Sea as officials continue efforts to locate the missing aircraft.

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