KARACHI, Sindh: A K2 Airways cargo plane carrying five crew members went missing off the Karachi coast Tuesday night after reporting a navigational system problem, authorities said.
The Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo aircraft was travelling from Sharjah to Karachi, according to initial information.
Officials said the crew reported the navigational system issue to Air Traffic Control at 9:18 pm PST. The Karachi Area Control Centre immediately provided navigational assistance to the aircraft.
At 9:21 pm PST, air traffic controllers observed a rapid descent and sudden change in heading on radar.
Radar contact and communication were lost shortly afterwards, about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi.
The Rescue Coordination Centre was activated after the loss of contact. Authorities launched a multi-agency search-and-rescue operation in the Arabian Sea to locate the aircraft.
Read: France plane crash kills 11 near Nancy airfield
Officials said no information was immediately available about the condition of the five crew members.
Authorities said the cause of the reported navigation problem and the subsequent loss of contact remained under investigation.
