A Turkish Airlines pilot tragically passed away mid-flight, prompting the crew to carry out an emergency diversion to New York. The pilot, identified as 59-year-old İlçehin Pehlivan, was flying a passenger plane from Seattle, Washington to Istanbul when he fainted during the journey, which commenced around 7 pm on Tuesday.
Despite the crew’s attempts at a medical intervention, unfortunately, it proved to be ineffective, as shared by Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Ustun on X (formerly Twitter). As a result, the co-pilot had to make an emergency landing in New York, though the pilot had already passed away before the plane touched down.
Flight maps depicted the plane’s initial path towards Istanbul before the sharp diversion was made by the co-pilot. It was noted that Mr. Pehlivan had undergone a routine health examination at the Aviation Medical Centre in March 2024, where no health issues were identified that would have hindered his ability to fly. Having been with Turkish Airlines for 17 years, Mr. Pehlivan was operating an Airbus A350 aircraft on flight TK204 at the time of the incident.
Expressing condolences, Mr. Ustun stated, “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.” The airline informed that the passengers would continue their journey home via New York station following the unfortunate event.
This incident follows a series of recent inflight emergencies, including an Iraqi Airways flight that had to divert to Kolkata airport in India due to a medical emergency involving a 16-year-old girl who subsequently passed away. In addition, just last month, a Delta Airlines flight had to return shortly after takeoff when cabin pressure issues led to passengers experiencing nosebleeds.