Wreckage located after loss of K2 Airways 737-400 freighter off Pakistan
AeroMorning – July 8, 2026
On July 8, 2026 Pakistani authorities have located wreckage from the K2 Airways Boeing 737-400 freighter that disappeared while operating a scheduled cargo service from Sharjah to Karachi on 7 July, confirming the loss of the aircraft in the northern Arabian Sea.
The debris field was identified approximately 53nm (98km) south of Ormara, a coastal town on Pakistan’s Makran coastline located between Karachi and Gwadar. Naval vessels, maritime patrol aircraft and rescue units continue recovery operations in the area, where the search is focused on locating the aircraft’s five crew members as well as the flight recorders.
The aircraft involved, AP-BOI, was a Boeing 737-4M0(BDSF) converted freighter. Originally delivered as a passenger aircraft in 1999, it underwent freighter conversion before joining Karachi-based cargo operator K2 Airways in 2024. The aircraft was the airline’s only freighter.
According to the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), the crew reported a navigation system malfunction while en route to Karachi. Air traffic control maintained contact with the aircraft for several minutes before both radio communications and radar contact were lost over the Arabian Sea. The authority has not disclosed further details regarding the nature of the reported system failure.
ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast, a system that broadcasts an aircraft’s position, altitude and speed) data published by flight-tracking provider Flightradar24 indicates the aircraft remained in cruise before exhibiting significant deviations in its vertical profile during the final minutes of flight. The transmitted data includes rapid altitude variations followed by a final descent with a recorded rate exceeding 22,000ft/min.
Investigators have cautioned that ADS-B information should not be regarded as a definitive representation of the aircraft’s flight path. Such data can become unreliable during abnormal attitudes, degraded transponder performance or signal interruptions, and will need to be correlated with information recovered from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the wreckage examination.
The Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency launched a search-and-rescue operation shortly after contact with the aircraft was lost. Floating debris consistent with the aircraft was recovered on July 8, 2026, confirming the accident location.
Pakistan’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Board has opened a formal investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13. At this stage, no determination has been made regarding the cause of the accident.
Although the crew reported a navigation-related problem before the loss of contact, investigators have emphasised that it remains too early to establish whether the reported malfunction was directly related to the accident sequence. Examination of the recovered wreckage, aircraft systems and recorded flight data will be required before any conclusions can be drawn.
The accident represents the first hull loss involving K2 Airways since the carrier commenced operations and removes the airline’s sole aircraft from service pending the outcome of the investigation.
Source: AeroMorning
