A Turkish Airlines flight from Seattle to Istanbul had to land in New York after the plane’s pilot lost consciousness and died mid-flight.
Pilot Ilcehin Pehlivan, 59, was at the helm of flight TK204 when the incident occurred.
The first attempt on board to help resuscitate him failed and the other people in the cockpit decided to detour the plane in order to get him help, Turkish Airlines Senior Vice President of Media Relations Yahya Ustun said in a post on X.
A health exam earlier in 2024 had not revealed any medical issues for Mr. Pehlivan that would have prevented him from working, he said.
Mr. Pehlivan, a 17-year employee of Turkish Airlines, died before the plane could land.
“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,” Mr. Ustun wrote, as translated from Turkish.
Flight tracking website FlightAware shows that the flight left Seattle at around 10:02 p.m. EDT Tuesday and was over northern Canada when it made a sharp, immediate diversion southwards to John F. Kennedy International Airport, where the plane landed at around 5:57 a.m. EDT Wednesday.
Passengers on flight TK204 were sent to Istanbul from JFK, Mr. Ustun said.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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