Daijiworld Media Network - Karachi

Karachi, Jul 8: A Pakistani cargo aircraft carrying five crew members disappeared from radar while flying from the United Arab Emirates to Karachi on Tuesday night, triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation in the Arabian Sea.

According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), the K2 Airways cargo aircraft was operating a scheduled flight from Sharjah to Karachi when it reported a malfunction in its navigation system at around 9.18 pm local time.

Following the distress call, the Karachi Area Control Centre (ACC) established contact with the aircraft and began providing navigational assistance. However, within minutes, the situation worsened.

The PAA said air traffic controllers observed the aircraft making a rapid descent accompanied by a sharp change in heading at around 9.22 pm.

"However, at 9.22 pm, the aircraft was observed on radar rapidly descending with a rapid heading change. Subsequently, radar contact and communication were lost approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi," the authority said in a statement.

The aircraft disappeared from radar about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi, raising concerns that it may have crashed into the Arabian Sea.

Following the loss of contact, the Pakistan Airports Authority activated the Rescue Coordination Centre and launched a coordinated search and rescue operation involving multiple agencies.

Authorities confirmed that five crew members were on board the aircraft. Their identities have not yet been released.

Officials have not disclosed the cause of the aircraft's sudden descent beyond the reported navigation system malfunction. The search operation is continuing.