Cargo Plane Wreckage Found Off Pakistan, Crew Missing

POLICY WIRE — Wreckage from a cargo plane that disappeared while on approach to the southern port of Karachi has been located and recovered off Pakistan’s coast, officials confirmed. Civilian and navy search teams found parts of the aircraft on Wednesday, with efforts continuing to locate five missing crew members, according to officials.

The aircraft, operated by the private carrier K2 Airways, had departed from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. It lost contact with air traffic control late on Tuesday after its crew reported a navigational system problem, officials stated.

The search operation, which involved both Pakistani navy and civilian assets including planes and ships, commenced after the aircraft’s disappearance. The wreckage was discovered in the Arabian Sea after approximately 12 hours of searching, the Pakistani Airports Authority announced in a social media post.

Retired Rear Admiral Faisal Shah provided insights into the challenges confronting searchers. Shah noted the presence of rough seas in the search area. He also indicated that the main wreckage of the plane had not yet been found. Shah explained that the area where the primary wreckage is believed to be located is approximately 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) deep, which would necessitate specialized equipment for its recovery. Shah clarified that the recovery of floating debris doesn’t definitively pinpoint the aircraft’s exact crash site, as ocean currents, waves, and wind can transport such wreckage considerable distances from the point of impact.

K2 Airways released a statement identifying the five crew members who remain missing. The airline named them as Captain Muhammad Rizwan Idris, First Officer Faisal Jatoi, flight engineers Muhammad Hamid and Muhammad Arif Siddiqui, and aircraft loader Muhammad Taufiq Khan.