Turkish Airlines announced on Wednesday the death of its pilot, Ilçehen Behlivan, following a sudden health crisis during a flight from Seattle, USA, to Istanbul, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing in New York.
Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Uston revealed that the Airbus 350 aircraft had taken off from Seattle on the US West Coast and was heading to Istanbul when its captain fainted during the flight. After a failed attempt at first aid, the cockpit crew (consisting of two other pilots) decided to make an emergency landing, but the captain passed away before landing.
Despite the crew’s attempts to provide first aid, the 59-year-old pilot passed away before reaching the emergency landing airport. The first officer took over command, and the plane landed safely at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Uston said, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our captain and offer our deepest condolences to his family and colleagues.”
He added that pilot Behlivan had successfully passed all routine medical examinations in March, with no health issues preventing him from performing his duties.
Flight TK204 departed from Seattle shortly after 7 pm local time on Tuesday, and it appears the pilot encountered a problem over the Canadian territory of Nunavut before his colleagues took over and headed to JFK Airport.
Flight tracking data on FlightAware shows that the plane landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport shortly before 6 am.
The Turkish Airlines spokesperson confirmed that arrangements are being made for the passengers to reach their destination from New York.
