A Turkish plane heading to Istanbul was forced to make an emergency landing in New York after the captain died on board on Wednesday.
The plane, which took off from Seattle on Wednesday, was forced to divert after the 59-year-old pilot, İlçehin Pehlivan fainted.
Confirming the incident, Turkish Airlines spokesperson, Yahya Üstün, said the crew gave the pilot an emergency treatment on board and tried to revive him but failed.
Üstün said, “When the first medical intervention to our captain on the plane was ineffective, the cockpit crew consisting of a captain and co-pilot decided to make an emergency landing, but our captain lost his life before landing.”
The spokesperson noted that the pilot had worked at the airline since 2007 and had no known health problems.
Üstün added that the captain also passed a medical earlier this year, noting that no health problem was detected that would have prevented him from working.
“At 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,” he said.
