A large search and rescue operation is underway for a Boeing 737 cargo plane that disappeared off the Arabian Sea with five crew members on board.
The event occurred on Tuesday evening, July 7, while the airliner was flying from Sharjah International Airport (United Arab Emirates) to Jinnah International Airport (Pakistan).
The aircraft lost communication with air traffic control around 9:21 p.m. (PKT). The plane disappeared over the Arabian Sea around 155 nautical miles (287 kilometers) west of Karachi.
According to Flightradar24 tracing data, the jet had chaotic and significant altitude fluctuations minutes before disappearing. It initially fell roughly 5,000 feet in less than a minute before quickly ascending about 6,000 feet in only 30 seconds.
This disruptive pattern resulted in a disastrous vertical decline from an altitude of 36,550 feet. According to the final statistics, the plane was barely 1,100 feet above sea level and descending at an astounding pace of negative 22,400 feet per minute.
This is equivalent to approximately 250 mph, which is considered an abnormally steep descent indicating a serious loss of control.
At 9:18 p.m., the aircraft reported a navigation system problem, three minutes before losing contact. Air traffic controllers attempted to guide the plane, but communication was lost quickly.
There were five crew members on board: Mohammad Rizwan Idrees, Faisal Mehmood, Muhammad Toufique Khan, Arif Siddiqui, and Mohammad Hamid. The team had two pilots, two engineers, and one support staff member.
The missing aircraft belonged to K2 Airways, a private cargo airline established in 2018. This was the airline’s first plane, and it began service with the carrier in 2024.
It is a 27-year-old converted Boeing 737-400 freighter that was delivered to Russia’s Aeroflot in 1999 as a passenger and converted to cargo in 2012. It is equipped with CFM International engines, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran, and last flew on June 28, 2026.
