On Wednesday, Turkish Airlines disclosed that one of its pilots died after collapsing mid-flight, News About Nigeria reports.
According to the airline, the pilot’s sudden death forced the Turkish national carrier to make an emergency landing in New York.
Speaking for the Airline, its Spokesperson, Yahya Ustun, in a post on his official X account on Wednesday, stated that the plane had taken off from the western US coastal city of Seattle on Tuesday evening before the unfortunate incident happened.
He further noted that the tragedy was shocking as the pilot, who had worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007, had passed a medical examination in March, which gave no indication of any health problems.
His post reads, “TK204 Flight Number Seattle-Istanbul Flight, operated by TC-LGR registered Airbus 350 type aircraft, our Captain Pilot İlçehin PEHLİVAN, experienced a medical emergency during the flight. Despite initial medical intervention on the plane, our Captain’s condition did not improve, and the cockpit crew, consisting of one captain and one first officer, decided to make an emergency landing. Unfortunately, our Captain passed away before landing.
“İlçehin PEHLİVAN, who had been working at Turkish Airlines since 2007, was 59 years old. A periodic health examination was conducted at the Aviation Medicine Center authorised by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation on March 8, 2024, and no health issues preventing him from performing his duties were detected. Our aircraft has decided to land in New York, and the return of our passengers to Turkey is planned through the New York station.”
“The airline also sympathises With the family of the deceased saying, “as the Turkish Airlines family, we offer our condolences to our Captain, and wish patience to his grieving family, colleagues, and loved ones.”
