Captain İlçehin Pehlivan, pilot of an Airbus 350 from Turkish Airlines, suddenly passed away during flight TK204, which was covering the route from Seattle to Istanbul, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing in New York, according to the airline.
Yahya Üstün, spokesperson for the national airline of Turkey, based in Istanbul, communicated through social media: "Our captain İlçehin Pehlivan, of the aircraft with registration TC-LGR, fainted during the flight. After the first medical intervention on board, which was unsuccessful, the crew decided to make an emergency landing, but unfortunately our captain passed away before reaching the ground."
Pehlivan, 59 years old, had worked at Turkish Airlines since 2007 and underwent a routine medical check-up in March 2024, where no health problems were detected that would prevent him from continuing his duties as a pilot, the statement emphasized.
The flight was diverted to New York, where the return of the passengers to their final destination was planned.
"As a family of Turkish Airlines, we wish peace to his soul and send our most sincere condolences to his family, colleagues, and friends," stated the airline.
The death of Pehlivan marks the first case of this kind in the Turkish airline, although other similar incidents have occurred in the past in commercial aviation.
In 2022, two pilots died in mid-flight, including a case in the U.S. involving a pilot from Envoy Air and another in Southeast Asia with a pilot from Citilink Indonesia. In 2023, a pilot from LATAM Airlines also suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away while covering the route between Miami and Chile.
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