Plane makes emergency landing after pilot dies mid-flight --[Reported by Umva mag]

A Turkish Airlines pilot collapsed and died during a flight, prompting the plane to make an emergency landing in New York City.

Oct 9, 2024 - 19:11

Plane makes emergency landing after pilot dies mid-flight --[Reported by Umva mag]

(L) A Turkish Airlines airplane sits on a tarmac. (R) Turkish Airlines pilot İlçehin Pehlivan wears the airline uniform and gives a blank expression. — Turkish Airlines (left) pilot İlçehin Pehlivan (right) died during a flight from Seattle bound for Seattle (Pictures: Getty Images/Turkish Airlines)

A Turkish Airlines plane made an emergency landing in New York after the pilot suddenly fainted and died in the middle of the flight.

Flight TK204 departed from Seattle shortly after 7pm on Tuesday for Istanbul but made an unexpected landing at John F Kennedy International Airport at 5.57am on Wednesday, according to FlightAware.

A pilot ‘collapsed during the flight,’ Turkish Airlines spokesman Yahya Üstün wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

‘After an unsuccessful attempt to give first aid, the flight crew of another pilot and a co-pilot decided to make an emergency landing, but he died before landing.’

Turkish Airlines pilot İlçehin Pehlivan wears the airline uniform and gives a blank expression — The pilot of the passenger plane, İlçehin Pehlivan, collapsed during the flight (Picture: Turkish Airlines)

The Airbus A350 was roughly eight hours into the journey and passing over Baffin Island in northern Canada when it turned around for New York.

Turkish Airlines identified the pilot as İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, who was with the company since 2007.

Pehlivan had regular medical checkups, with the last one in March, and did not have any health issues detected, according to the airline.

‘As the Turkish Airlines family, we wish God’s mercy upon our captain and patience to his grieving family, all his colleagues and loved ones,’ Üstün said.

The Federal Aviation Administration told The New York Times that ‘one of the pilots suffered a medical emergency’.

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