K2 Airways freighter crash off Pakistan coast

After a 12-hour search operation involving air and maritime assets, pakistan-registered Boeing 737-400SF cargo aircraft carrying five crew members wreckage was recovered 53 nautical miles south of Ormara, a coastal town on Pakistan’s Arabian Sea shoreline. Ormara is situated approximately 360 kilometres (223 miles) west of Karachi, the aircraft’s departure point. Five crew members are still missing.

The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control late Tuesday after reporting a navigational system malfunction while en route from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Karachi. K2 Airways flight KTA1732 was reported missing within 155 nautical miles WSW of Karachi, Pakistan.

According to Pakistan's aviation authorities, communication with the aircraft was lost shortly after the crew reported the technical issue. Preliminary flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated that the 27-year-old converted freighter, operated by K2 Airways, experienced a series of sharp altitude fluctuations before entering a steep final descent.

ADS-B flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft departed Sharjah Airport at 15:02 UTC bound for Karachi. At 16:17 UTC, the aircraft initiated a right-hand turn while climbing before entering a descent of approximately 5,600 feet. It subsequently regained around 7,200 feet in altitude before descending again, according to the flight data.

K2 Airways is cooperating with the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other relevant government agencies as the investigation into the incident continues.

It is a Karachi-based private airline founded in May 2018 under an airline charter licence issued by the Government of Pakistan and operates one Boeing 737-400SF. The freighter joined K2 Airways' fleet on July 1, 2024, boosting the airline's cargo capacity and expanding service frequency across domestic and international routes.