Pilot İlçehin Pehlivan Obituary, Death – A Turkish Airlines flight traveling from Seattle to Istanbul had to make an emergency landing in New York on Wednesday after the pilot tragically passed away mid-flight. The airline’s spokesperson, Yahya Üstün, confirmed that the pilot, 59-year-old İlçehin Pehlivan, lost consciousness at some point after Flight TK204 took off from Seattle on Tuesday night.
The flight crew, realizing the gravity of the situation, made the decision to perform an emergency landing while attempting to revive the pilot. Despite their efforts, Pehlivan passed away before the plane could land. According to flight tracking data from FlightAware, the Airbus A350 safely landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport just before 6 a.m.
Following the emergency landing, Turkish Airlines began making arrangements to transport passengers from New York to their final destination in Istanbul.
Pehlivan had been a member of the Turkish Airlines team since 2007. Üstün mentioned that Pehlivan underwent a routine health check in March, which did not reveal any health issues that would have prevented him from continuing his work as a pilot.
The airline expressed deep sorrow over the loss of their pilot. “As 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,” Üstün stated.