Cargo plane with five on board loses contact near Karachi after technical issue

A Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo plane with five crew members on board lost contact with air traffic control on Tuesday night after reporting a

navigational system problem on its way from Sharjah to Karachi, Pakistan aviation authorities said.



Early flight data indicated the 27-year-old converted freighter operated by K2 Airways possibly crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi after a series of sharp altitude changes before a steep final descent, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24.



Authorities have launched a coordinated search and rescue operation at sea through various agencies to locate the missing plane, Pakistan Airports Authority said on Facebook.



The plane reported a navigational system issue at 9:18 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time (1618 GMT) while flying toward Karachi, the airports authority said.