A cargo jet carrying five crew members vanished off the Pakistani port of Karachi late on Tuesday after quickly descending, disappearing off radar, and losing communication with air traffic controllers.
At 9:18 p.m. local time, the Boeing 737 operated by Karachi-based K2 Airways reported an issue during a cargo flight from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to Karachi, Pakistan, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.
Radar and radio communication were lost approximately 155 nautical miles (178 miles) west of Karachi, according to the authorities. Radar data showed the aircraft “rapidly descending” and making a dramatic change in heading at approximately 9:21 p.m.
According to data from FlightRadar24, the Boeing first dropped altitude, then rose for a short while before plunging sharply. Experts estimate that in less than two minutes, it fell almost 35,000 feet.
K2 Airways said in a statement that it is working with the aviation authorities and that search-and-rescue operations are currently underway in the Arabian Sea by Pakistani officials.
News media released the final audio transmission from the cargo plane
Now, the alleged last known audio transmission from the pilot of the aircraft that disappeared over Pakistan has been released. In the final transmission, the pilot stated that the plane was “rolling or floating.” Rotation around the front-to-back axis of an airplane is called roll. Floating often refers to an aircraft flying just above the runway during landing when it has too much airspeed, causing it to drift down the runway before it finally touches down.
“We have a navigation problem, requesting radar assistance,” was heard as part of the transmission between the pilot and air-traffic control.
Update: The wreckage of the missing cargo plane has been found, according to the Pakistan Airports Authority. CNN reports that it was recovered 53 nautical miles (61 miles) south of Ormara port. Efforts are still underway to find the five crew members who were on board the plane.