Wreckage of Downed Cargo Plane Discovered off Pakistan’s Coast as Search Efforts Persist for Five Crew Members

ISLAMABAD — On Wednesday, teams of civilian and military searchers scouring the coast of Pakistan discovered and recovered the wreckage of a cargo aircraft that vanished as it neared Karachi’s southern port. Officials indicated that the search persists for five crew members who remain unaccounted for.

Operated by K2 Airways, a private airline, the aircraft took off from Sharjah in the UAE and encountered a navigational system malfunction before losing communication with air traffic controllers late Tuesday.

The Pakistani navy, along with civilian teams, discovered the crashed plane in the Arabian Sea after an extensive 12-hour search, as shared by Pakistan’s Airports Authority on X. The ongoing operation focuses on locating the five individuals missing from the aircraft.

Three officials involved in the operation, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive matter, noted that the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea and severe monsoon conditions present formidable obstacles to the rescue efforts.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended condolences to the families of the five crew members, as per a statement from his office, and instructed the government to utilize all available resources to bolster the search mission.

In a statement, K2 Airways identified the missing crew 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,” it said.

Pakistan’s Airports Authority said earlier 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.

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.