Cargo Plane: Aircraft goes missing off Karachi coast after losing contact

A cargo plane went missing about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi after losing contact with air traffic control late Tuesday, according to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA). Authorities have launched a search and rescue operation.

Aviation sources identified the aircraft as a 27-year-old Boeing 737 operated by a Pakistani cargo airline. The aircraft was flying from Sharjah to Karachi when communication with the crew ended at 9:32 p.m.

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Flight tracking data showed that Flight TA1732 cruised at 35,000 feet and approximately 790 kilometres per hour at 9:17 p.m. However, the aircraft soon made an unexpected U-turn before entering a rapid descent.

Within five minutes, the aircraft dropped nearly 34,000 feet, descending to about 1,100 feet while slowing to 211 kilometres per hour. Shortly afterward, it disappeared from radar, according to flight tracking data.

The PAA said the crew had reported a malfunction in the aircraft’s navigation system before contact was lost. Consequently, the Area Control Center (ACC) immediately provided navigational assistance.

Meanwhile, the Rescue Coordination Center activated emergency protocols and began coordinating search and rescue efforts, a PAA spokesperson said.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the aircraft’s location or the number of people on board. Search teams continue to monitor the area and gather additional information.

The incident recalls a fatal cargo plane crash in Karachi in 2010, when a Russian cargo aircraft crashed into a residential area shortly after takeoff while flying to Khartoum, Sudan. All eight people on board died, and the crash triggered fires in nearby buildings and a major rescue operation.

Officials said the aircraft in the 2010 accident also lost contact with air traffic control only minutes after departure.