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ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s Navy and civilian agencies widened their search Wednesday for a cargo aircraft that authorities fear may have crashed after vanishing from radar and losing communication with air traffic control while headed to the southern port city of Karachi.
The Karachi-bound plane, operated by private carrier K2 Airways, had reported a problem with its navigation system during a flight from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, officials said. Five people were on board. Three officials with knowledge of the rescue operation said the search remained underway.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity surrounding the possible crash.
They said rescue teams were facing difficult conditions, including a broad search zone in the Arabian Sea and rough waters caused by the monsoon season.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences to the families of the five crew members, according to a statement from his office, and ordered the government to use all available resources in the search effort.
Authorities have not officially confirmed what happened to the aircraft. K2 Airways said in a statement that Pakistani authorities were continuing search-and-rescue operations and that the airline was fully cooperating with aviation officials. The company identified the missing crew members as Capt. Muhammad Rizwan Idris, First Officer Faisal Jatoi, flight engineers Muhammad Hamid and Muhammad Arif Siddiqui, and aircraft loader Muhammad Taufiq Khan.
“We continue to pray earnestly for the safety of our colleagues,” the airline said.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Airports Authority said on X that radar data showed the aircraft making a sharp change in heading and rapidly descending before radar and radio contact were lost at about 9:21 p.m., approximately 155 nautical miles (287 kilometers, 178 miles) west of Karachi.
According to the authority, Pakistan’s military and civilian agencies activated the Rescue Coordination Center and launched search-and-rescue operations at sea shortly after the aircraft went missing.
According to the officials, Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Zulfiqar was dispatched to the area where contact with the aircraft was lost. The Pakistan Air Force also deployed aircraft to assist in the search, while a Pakistan Navy ATR aircraft took off from the southwestern city of Turbat.
A merchant vessel operated by the Pakistan National Shipping Corp. also joined the operation, officials said.
Aviation expert Imran Aslam told local broadcaster ARY News late Tuesday that it remained unclear what caused the aircraft to disappear from radar. He said that even if an aircraft suffered an engine failure, it would normally continue gliding rather than plunge suddenly. He said the exact cause would become clear only after investigators gathered more evidence.
In May 2020, a Pakistan International Airlines flight carrying 98 people crashed into a densely populated neighborhood near Karachi airport while attempting to land. All but one of the 99 people on board were killed. A government investigation later concluded that human error by the pilots and air traffic controllers caused the crash.
