Pakistan searches for cargo plane with five crew members; crash suspected after navigation failure reported

A search and rescue operation is underway in Pakistan for a cargo plane carrying five crew members that has gone missing. The aircraft, a 27-year-old Boeing 737 operated by K2 Airways, disappeared after reporting a critical navigation system failure.

The incident occurred while the plane was flying from Sharjah to Karachi. Pakistani aviation authorities confirmed the navigation system failure was reported at 9:18 p.m. Pakistan standard time. Initial data suggests the aircraft experienced an unusual flight path, including an initial descent, a subsequent climb, and then a second, significant loss of altitude.

The aircraft has a long history, having begun its service as a passenger plane in 1999 with Aeroflot. It was later transferred to Garuda Indonesia in 2004 before being converted into a freighter in 2012. Prior to its current operation with K2 Airways, it flew for TNT Airways and ASL Airlines.