A Turkish Airlines flight made an emergency landing at JFK International Airport in New York after pilot İlçehin Pehlivan fainted and later died mid-flight, the airline announced on Wednesday, October 9.
The aircraft had taken off from Seattle, USA, on Tuesday, with a destination of Istanbul, as stated by Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Üstün. Unfortunately, the pilot collapsed during the flight, and efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
“The pilot of our Airbus A350 flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul collapsed during the flight,” Üstün posted on X, formerly Twitter. “After an unsuccessful attempt to provide first aid, the flight crew, including another pilot and a co-pilot, decided to make an emergency landing, but he died before reaching the ground.”
Flight-tracking service FlightAware indicated that flight TK204 departed from Seattle at 7:02 p.m. on Tuesday and arrived at JFK at 5:57 a.m. on Wednesday. Turkish Airlines identified the pilot as 59-year-old İlçehin Pehlivan, who had been with the airline since 2007.
According to the airline’s spokesman, Pehlivan had undergone a routine health examination on August 3 and was deemed fit for duty by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation.
Passengers on the diverted flight TK204 will be transported to Istanbul from JFK International, the airline confirmed.
“As the Turkish Airlines family, we wish God’s mercy upon our captain and offer our condolences to his grieving family, colleagues, and loved ones,” Üstün expressed.
