A Turkish Airlines flight from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York after pilot İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, lost consciousness mid-flight.
Despite the crew’s efforts to revive him, the pilot unfortunately passed away before the Airbus A350 landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport around 6 a.m.
Turkish Airlines confirmed that Pehlivan had been with the airline since 2007 and had recently undergone a routine health check with no reported issues.
The airline expressed deep condolences to Pehlivan’s family, colleagues, and loved ones while making arrangements for the affected passengers to continue their journey.
