Karachi, Pakistan – Web Desk: The wreckage of a private cargo aircraft that went missing while flying from Sharjah to Karachi has been found in the Arabian Sea, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
According to officials, the wreckage was located 53 nautical miles south of Ormara after a search operation lasting more than 12 hours. The operation was carried out jointly by the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) using naval vessels and aircraft.
Search and rescue teams are continuing efforts to recover additional evidence and locate the five crew members who were on board the aircraft at the time it disappeared.
The cargo plane lost contact with Karachi Air Traffic Control while approaching Pakistan on Tuesday evening. A spokesperson for the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) had earlier confirmed that communication with the aircraft was lost during the flight from Sharjah to Karachi.
According to the PAA, at 9:18pm, the aircraft, flying on air route G216 approximately 150 nautical miles south of Karachi, reported a navigation system malfunction and requested guidance. Air traffic controllers instructed the crew to maintain their current heading.
Shortly afterward, radar data showed the aircraft making a right turn while rapidly losing altitude at a reported descent rate of 15,000 feet per minute. Despite repeated attempts by air traffic controllers to re-establish communication, no response was received.
At 9:21pm, the aircraft disappeared from radar approximately 155 nautical miles southwest of Karachi.
Authorities said the investigation into the incident is underway, while rescue teams continue search operations in the area.
