Govt turns to foreign experts to find K2 Airways' black box

Nearly four months after a K2 Airways aircraft plunged into the sea off Ormara, the search for its black box, wreckage and cockpit crew is entering a new phase, with Pakistan stepping up efforts to enlist international expertise for a deep-sea recovery operation.

With the aircraft believed to lie around 3,000 metres below the surface, the search is expected to rely on advanced sonar systems, autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles equipped with high-definition cameras and specialised recovery tools.

The government has intensified contacts with foreign experts and several international companies to determine the best way to locate and recover the aircraft’s remains from the seabed, according to sources. The black box and wreckage are considered crucial to establishing what happened in the aircraft’s final moments.

Read: K2: families demand deep-sea search

The aircraft, operated by the privately owned domestic cargo carrier, crashed into the sea on July 7 this year after encountering adverse conditions near Ormara. Sources said the transmitter beacon fitted to the black box stopped emitting signals about a month after the accident, making the search more difficult.

The Pakistan Navy had earlier used specialised equipment and side-scan sonar to identify a possible location of the black box on the seabed. Acoustic signals were used to scan the area at a depth of around 3,000 metres, but further progress now depends on more sophisticated underwater technology and specialised deep-sea salvage expertise.

As part of the proposed operation, a detailed three-dimensional map of the seabed will be prepared using a multibeam echo sounder. The technology can map underwater terrain, measure depths and identify potential obstructions, helping search teams narrow down the area where the aircraft’s wreckage may be located.

Autonomous underwater vehicles may also be deployed to survey the seabed using sonar, cameras and other sensors. Data and images collected by these unmanned systems could help identify suspicious objects and pinpoint areas requiring closer inspection.

Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), controlled from a support vessel, could play an equally important role. Equipped with high-definition cameras, powerful lights and robotic arms, the machines can examine wreckage at close range and, where feasible, retrieve smaller objects or position specialised equipment around the debris.

Search teams may also use a towed pinger locator to detect acoustic signals from the black box beacon. However, with the transmitter reportedly no longer functioning, its usefulness could be limited, increasing reliance on other methods.

A magnetometer could provide another means of locating the wreckage by detecting variations in the magnetic field associated with large metallic objects. Combining sonar readings, magnetic measurements and underwater imagery could help investigators verify the suspected location of the aircraft.

Specialised deep-sea salvage vessels may be required to support the operation. Such ships can carry heavy-duty winches, cranes, remotely operated systems and other equipment needed to access and recover wreckage from extreme depths. Operating at around 3,000 metres requires specialised machinery, technical expertise and careful planning.

Also Read: Deep-sea hunt for K2 crash wreckage to begin next month

The recovery of the black box and wreckage is considered essential to the investigation, as flight data and cockpit voice recordings could help investigators reconstruct the aircraft’s final moments, examine cockpit activity and determine the possible causes of the crash.

Sources said the company that owns the cargo aircraft would bear 50 per cent of the search costs. Raja Tariq, who owns up to 60pc of the cargo aircraft company’s shares, has been informed of the decision, they added.

The next phase of the search is expected to depend on assessments by international specialists, the availability of suitable equipment and the identification of the most promising locations on the seabed.