Search efforts are continuing for a missing cargo plane that disappeared off the Karachi coast, with the Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force, and merchant vessels working together to locate the aircraft and its five crew members.
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) confirmed that the private cargo aircraft lost contact with air traffic control while flying from Sharjah to Karachi. According to officials, communication with the aircraft ended when it was approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation.
Authorities have deployed significant maritime and aerial resources to locate the missing plane. The Pakistan Navy has sent PNS Zulfiqar and PNS Hunain to the search area, while a Pakistan Air Force Saab surveillance aircraft and a Navy ATR aircraft from Turbat are assisting from the air. Merchant ships in the region have also been directed to help in the operation.
The cargo company’s spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft lost contact with controllers at 9:21pm during its scheduled flight. The company identified the five crew members as pilot Muhammad Rizwan Idris, first officer Faisal Mehmood, loadmaster Muhammad Taufiq, engineer Arif Siddiqui, and Muhammad Hamid.
Meanwhile, investigators have sealed the cargo company’s office at Jinnah International Airport to secure operational records as part of the ongoing investigation.
Flight tracking data revealed that the aircraft was flying normally at 35,000 feet and approximately 790 kilometres per hour before suddenly making an unexpected U turn. Within minutes, it rapidly descended by nearly 34,000 feet, slowing significantly before disappearing from radar at an altitude of around 1,100 feet.
Air traffic officials said the pilot did not transmit a Mayday distress call, suggesting the emergency may have unfolded too quickly for the crew to respond.
The incident has revived memories of the 2010 Karachi cargo plane crash, in which a Russian cargo aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all eight people on board. Authorities say search operations will continue until the missing aircraft and its crew are located.
