A Pakistan-registered K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 freighter remains missing nearly 12 hours after disappearing from radar while flying from Sharjah, UAE, to Karachi, Pakistan.
According to Pakistani aviation authorities, the crew reported a navigational system malfunction at approximately 9:18 PM Pakistan time. Air traffic controllers attempted to assist the aircraft, but just minutes later radar data showed a rapid and highly abnormal descent before all contact was lost.
Flight tracking data indicates the 27-year-old Boeing 737-400 experienced dramatic altitude fluctuations during its final moments. The aircraft reportedly descended nearly 5,000 feet in less than a minute, climbed approximately 6,000 feet within 30 seconds, and then entered a catastrophic dive from 36,550 feet. Its final transmitted position showed the aircraft at just 1,100 feet above sea level with an extreme descent rate of approximately 22,400 feet per minute.
Early flight data suggests the freighter may have crashed into the Arabian Sea southwest of Karachi, near the coast of Ormara in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Search-and-rescue operations involving multiple Pakistani agencies remain underway, but as of now, no wreckage or survivors have been officially located.
Aviation experts say the aircraft’s final flight profile is highly unusual. Even in the event of an engine failure, an aircraft would normally glide for some distance rather than descend so abruptly, making the circumstances surrounding the disappearance particularly concerning.
According to social media reports, the five Pakistani crew members onboard have been identified as:
Captain: Muhammad Rizwan Idris
First Officer: Faisal Jatui
Flight Engineer: Muhammad Hamid
Flight Engineer: Muhammad Arif Siddiqui
Loadmaster: Muhammad Taufiq Khan
The identities of the crew have circulated on social media, but authorities have not yet officially confirmed the list.
The Boeing 737-400 freighter was K2 Airways’ only aircraft and had entered service with the airline in 2024 after previously operating as a passenger aircraft before being converted into a freighter.
With more than 12 hours having passed since the aircraft disappeared and no confirmed distress signals, wreckage, or survivors found, hopes of a successful rescue are fading. However, officials have not declared the aircraft crashed, and the search continues.
