A Turkish Airlines pilot tragically passed away after collapsing mid-flight, prompting the airline to make an emergency landing in New York, according to a statement from the airline on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on a flight that had departed from Seattle, a city on the western coast of the United States, on Tuesday evening. Yahya Ustun, the airline’s spokesperson, shared the details on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The pilot of our Airbus 350, operating flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul, collapsed during the flight.”
Despite efforts to administer first aid, the flight crew, consisting of a co-pilot and another pilot, decided to divert the flight for an emergency landing. Unfortunately, the pilot passed away before the plane could land.
The pilot, aged 59, had been with Turkish Airlines since 2007. Ustun also noted that the pilot had successfully passed a medical examination in March, which had revealed no health concerns at the time.
