NEW YORK—A Turkish Airlines plane flying from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday after the captain died on board, according to an airline official.
Turkish Airlines spokeswoman Yahya Üstün claimed that pilot İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, lost consciousness after aircraft 204 took off from Seattle on Tuesday night.
Medical efforts failed to resuscitate the captain, prompting the co-pilot to attempt an emergency landing, but the captain died before the plane landed, according to Üstün.
FlightAware data reveals that the Airbus A350 arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport shortly before 6 a.m.
The airline spokeswoman stated that arrangements were being made for travelers to go from New York to their destination.
According to Üstün, Pehlivan has worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007. A routine health check in March revealed no health issues that would have kept him from working, he claimed.
“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,” Üstün said.
