Pakistan May Seek International Help to Recover K2 Cargo Plane’s Black Box
Pakistan is considering seeking international assistance to recover the black box and wreckage of the K2 Airways cargo aircraft that crashed into the Arabian Sea earlier this month, as search efforts continue under challenging deep-sea conditions.
According to officials familiar with the investigation, the Bureau of Aircraft Safety Investigation (BASI) has proposed hiring specialized international recovery experts due to the complexity of the operation. The government is currently reviewing the proposal.
The Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency are continuing joint search operations near Ormara, where the aircraft went down on July 7.
Search Efforts Continue
So far, recovery teams have retrieved the aircraft’s tail section and a bag belonging to one of the crew members. However, the cockpit voice recorder, flight data recorder (black boxes), engines, fuselage, and the remaining crew members have not yet been located.
Officials believe the aircraft is resting at a depth of approximately 3,000 meters, making recovery significantly more difficult and requiring advanced underwater technology.
Families Request Wider Search
The families of the missing crew have urged authorities to launch an international recovery effort, emphasizing that locating the flight recorders is essential for determining the cause of the crash.
The families have also submitted requests through the Prime Minister’s Portal and the Senate complaint system. According to officials, a representative from a Karachi-based human rights organization has been assigned to coordinate with the affected families.
Experts Highlight Technical Challenges
Aviation experts say recovering flight recorders from such depths typically requires remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and highly specialized salvage equipment. Similar technology has been used in previous international deep-sea aircraft recovery missions.
Experts also note that the aircraft’s underwater locator beacons are designed to transmit acoustic signals for a limited period, making timely recovery efforts increasingly important.
Investigation Ongoing
Family members have also raised questions regarding one of the aircraft’s navigation systems, claiming that an Inertial Reference Unit (IRU) had been replaced before the flight.
However, aviation experts caution that aircraft accidents are rarely caused by a single factor, and investigators have not established any connection between the replaced component and the crash.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether international recovery specialists will be formally engaged, while K2 Airways has not issued a public statement regarding the proposal. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
