A Turkish Airline jetliner that took off from Seattle on Tuesday and was heading to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday morning as the pilot reportedly died mid-flight.
Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Üstün revealed that the 59-year-old Pilot, İlçehin Pehlivan, suddenly lost consciousness while on the flight, raising the concerns of the crew members who deemed it expedient to make an emergency landing in order to resuscitate that pilot.
The Plane landed at the John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday before 6 a.m. to give the Pilot some medical attention. Unfortunately, he had passed away before the plane landed.
According to Yahya Üstün, the Airline spokesperson, Pilot İlçehin Pehlivan have worked for the Turkish Airline since 2007. He had his last routine medical check-up in March, which proved that he was fit and had no health problems that would have prevented him from working.
Üstün said, “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.”
