A Turkish Airlines pilot, Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan, 59, died after collapsing mid-flight during a journey from Seattle to Istanbul. The incident occurred onboard flight TK204 on an Airbus A350, according to an airline spokesperson on X.
Despite the efforts of the crew to administer first aid, Captain Pehlivan passed away before the plane could make an emergency landing. The second pilot and co-pilot took control of the aircraft, diverting the flight to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, where it landed safely.
Captain Pehlivan had been with Turkish Airlines since 2007 and had passed a health check in March without any issues. The cause of his death has not been disclosed.
Passengers were later flown to Turkey from New York. Turkey’s air traffic controllers’ association expressed condolences to his family and colleagues, honoring his years of service in the aviation community.
