A Boeing 737 plunged at 22,400 feet per minute into the Arabian Sea after a violent aerodynamic sequence that lasted less than three minutes. Five crew members are missing. Here is what verified data and official records now confirm.
At exactly 9:18 PM Pakistan Standard Time (PST) on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, a K2 Airways Boeing 737 cargo aircraft operating flight KTA1732 from Sharjah to Karachi contacted the Karachi Area Control Centre to report a navigational system malfunction. Air traffic control promptly provided guidance.
Three minutes later, at 9:21 PM PST, radar observed the aircraft in a violent descent accompanied by a sudden, sharp heading change. All contact was lost approximately 155 nautical miles west of Karachi.
The Final Moments: What the Altitude Data Reveals
The flight tracking sequence captured in the aircraft’s final transmitted data tells a story far more complex than a simple plunge. Before its fatal descent, the aircraft (registration AP-BOI) underwent an extreme aerodynamic sequence.
The aircraft first dropped sharply to approximately 29,475 feet—a sudden, uncontrolled loss of altitude while still at its established cruise level. Rather than continuing down, the aircraft pitched up dramatically, climbing all the way back to 36,650 feet before entering a complete aerodynamic stall.
Telemetry Profile of Final Recorded Data Point
| Flight Parameter | Recorded Telemetry Value | Standard Operational Baseline |
| Last Altitude | 1,100 feet above sea level | Cruise dropped from 36,650 feet |
| Airspeed | 114 knots (Ground Speed) | Well below clean aerodynamic stall limits |
| Vertical Speed | −22,400 feet per minute | Controlled approach: −500 to −800 fpm |
| Total Crew | 5 Occupants (0 Passengers) | Currently logged as missing at sea |
Data Source: Verified ADS-B Telemetry Logs / Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) Emergency Registry.
This represents an altitude variance of over 7,000 feet in a matter of seconds. The final received data point placed AP-BOI at just 1,100 feet above sea level with a vertical descent rate of −22,400 feet per minute, decelerating to a critical 114 knots.
The sequence of a sudden drop, violent pitch-up, and a catastrophic stall-induced plunge describes an aircraft that had become aerodynamically uncontrollable. A normal controlled approach runs at roughly 500 to 800 feet per minute. A rate of −22,400 feet per minute is nearly 28 times that speed, leaving zero margin for recovery.
The Aircraft & Regional Context
The airframe behind registration AP-BOI was a 27-year-old Boeing 737-400 BDSF freighter. Originally delivered as a passenger jet to Aeroflot in 1999, it was structurally converted into a cargo freighter in 2012. After operating for global logistics lines like TNT Airways and ASL Airlines Belgium, it joined K2 Airways in October 2024 as its sole fleet asset.
Shortly after departing Sharjah, the aircraft experienced confirmed Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) interference—a common regional issue over the past two years due to regional GPS spoofing. Investigators will examine whether this early signal disruption left any residual corruption on the aircraft’s primary flight computers.
Active Search and Investigative Focus
The Pakistan Airports Authority activated its Rescue Coordination Centre immediately. The F-22P Zulfiquar-class frigate PNS Zulfiquar was diverted to the last known coordinates, supported by airborne search assets.
With a data-verified radar drop point, investigators are focusing on three main technical threads:
- Upset Recovery Stall: The violent altitude oscillation suggests an over-correction during an unexpected attitude deviation, driving the airframe into an unrecoverable high-altitude stall.
- Persistent GNSS Corruption: Residual errors from the initial spoofing zone may have fed false instrument readings to the cockpit, causing a heavy workload under dark conditions.
- Avionics Vulnerabilities: Maintenance histories will be reviewed to determine if the aging airframe’s legacy navigational systems were adequately updated to handle modern, digitally-contested route environments.