Turkish Airlines flight diverted to New York after pilot dies

A Turkish Airlines plane from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York after a pilot collapsed during the flight and could not be revived, the airlines said in a statement Wednesday.
Turkish Airlines Flight TK204 took off from Seattle at 7:02 p.m. local time Tuesday, according to data on FlightAware, and was heading towards Istanbul when it was diverted to New York around eight hours into the flight.
Yahya Üstün, an airline spokesperson, in a statement on social media, said the flight “experienced an incident where our Captain, İlçehin Pehlivan lost consciousness during the flight.”
“After the initial medical intervention on board proved ineffective, the cockpit crew, consisting of one captain and one co-pilot, decided to make an emergency landing,” the statement said, adding the captain passed away before they could land.
The flight landed at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport shortly before 6 a.m. Wednesday and alternate arrangements were made for the passengers on board the flight from the New York station, the airline said.
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Pehlivan, 59, had been associated with Turkish Airlines since 2007, the airline said, adding he had undergone a routine health check last earlier this year on March 8, “which detected no health issues that would prevent him from performing his duties.”
“As Turkish Airlines, we deeply feel the loss of our captain and extend our sincerest condolences to his bereaved family, colleagues, and all his loved ones,” the statement said.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.