ISLAMABAD: The federal government has contacted foreign experts to recover the K2 Airways black box and remaining wreckage off Ormara, Balochistan.
Under the proposed arrangement, the airline would bear 50% of the search and recovery costs. Authorities have informed its owners about the planned operation.
Five crew members were aboard the cargo flight from Sharjah to Karachi when it crashed into the Arabian Sea on July 7.
Initial search efforts recovered debris on July 8, according to the Pakistan Airports Authority. However, those recoveries did not include the aircraft’s main fuselage or its crew.
By July 20, investigators had conducted an aerial assessment and completed an initial review of available aircraft records. They examined recovered wreckage and items found in a bag belonging to flight engineer Muhammad Hamid.
Read: K2 Airways Crash Probe May Seek Overseas Help Near Ormara
The Pakistan Navy later announced on September 29 that it had located the recorder about 3,200 metres below the surface. Naval teams used specialised equipment during an extended underwater search.
That announcement concerned locating the device, rather than retrieving it.
Meanwhile, the latest arrangements concern bringing in foreign expertise for the recovery phase. The recorder’s locator beacon stopped transmitting about a month after the crash, according to the search arrangements.
The Bureau of Aircraft Safety Investigation Pakistan continues to investigate the accident. Its official listing identifies the aircraft as a Boeing 737-400, registered AP-BOI.
Investigators previously reviewed how the aircraft descended into the sea while returning from Sharjah. They are still working to establish the cause of the crash.
(With input from Associated Press)
