Turkish Airlines reported on Wednesday, October 9, that the pilot, İlçehin Pehlivan, had fainted and died during the flight, forcing an emergency landing at JFK International Airport in New York, USA.
Turkish Airlines spokesman Yahya Üstün stated that the aircraft took off on Tuesday from Seattle, USA, with an intended destination of Istanbul. Sadly, the pilot passed out during the flight, and when attempts to revive him failed, he died.
“The pilot of our Airbus 350… flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul collapsed during the flight,” Üstün wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“After an unsuccessful attempt to give first aid, the flight crew of another pilot and a co-pilot decided to make an emergency landing, but he died before landing.
FlightAware, a website that tracks flights, indicates that Turkish Airlines flight TK204 took off from Seattle on Tuesday at 7:02 p.m. and arrived at JFK on Wednesday at 5:57 a.m. The airline identified the pilot as İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, who has been employed by the company since 2007.
The airline’s spokesman stated that Pehlivan had a routine physical on August 3 and received a clean certificate of health from the General Directorate of Civil Aviation.
The passengers on the flight, which was diverted, will be transported to Istanbul from JFK International, the airline says.
“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,” Üstün said.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli