ISTANBUL: A Turkish Airways pilot died after collapsing mid-flight, forcing the Turkish nationwide provider to make an emergency touchdown in New York, the airline stated on Wednesday (Oct 9).
The airplane had taken off from the western US coastal metropolis of Seattle on Tuesday night, airline spokesman Yahya Ustun wrote on X, previously Twitter.
“The pilot of our Airbus 350 … flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul collapsed in the course of the flight,” he wrote.
“After an unsuccessful try to provide first help, the flight crew of one other pilot and a co-pilot determined to make an emergency touchdown, however he died earlier than touchdown.”
Information from the monitoring web site FlightAware exhibits that the airplane landed at John F Kennedy Worldwide Airport simply earlier than 6am.
Preparations have been being made for passengers to succeed in their vacation spot from New York, the airline spokesperson stated.
The 59-year-old pilot, Ilcehin Pehlivan, who had labored for Turkish Airways since 2007, had handed a medical examination in March, which gave no indication of any well being issues, Ustun wrote.
“As Turkish Airways, we deeply really feel the lack of our captain and prolong our sincerest condolences to his bereaved household, colleagues, and all his family members,” Ustun stated.
