Airplane pilot dies mid-flight in the United States

• Turkish Airlines Pilot Dies Mid-Flight
• Emergency Landing in New York
• Cause of Death Still Unknown

A Turkish Airlines flight traveling from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday after the pilot passed away mid-flight.

İlçehin Pehlivan, 59 years old, collapsed at some point during flight TK204, which had departed on Tuesday night.

This was confirmed in a statement by Yahya Üstün, a spokesperson for Turkish Airlines.

The crew decided to perform an emergency landing and attempted to resuscitate the pilot, but he passed away before the landing.

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Arrangements are being made for passengers to reach their destinations from New York, added the spokesperson.

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İlçehin Pehlivan had been working for Turkish Airlines since 2007, according to Üstün.

A routine medical examination in March did not reveal any health issues that would prevent him from flying, he added.

«We express our deepest condolences to his grieving family, colleagues, and all his loved ones,” said Yahya Üstün.

Founded in 1933, Turkish Airlines is one of the world’s largest airlines in terms of passenger destinations.

They fly to over 300 locations across more than 120 countries.

It appears the pilot began feeling unwell while flying over Nunavut, Canada.

All pilots must undergo annual medical examinations, and those over 40 are required to be examined every six months.

This isn’t the first time such an incident has occurred: in 2015, a 57-year-old American Airlines pilot collapsed and died during a flight.