A Turkish Airlines plane flying from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency stop in New York on Wednesday after its pilot died on board, according to an airline representative.
Turkish Airlines spokeswoman Yahya Üstün confirmed that pilot İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, experienced a loss of consciousness after taking off from Seattle on Tuesday night.
Crew members opted to make an emergency landing and attempted to revive the pilot, according to Üstün, but he died before the jet landed.
FlightAware data shows that the Airbus A350 landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport shortly before 6 a.m.
The airline spokeswoman confirmed that plans were in place for passengers to travel from New York to their destination.
According to Üstün, Pehlivan has worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007. A routine health check in March revealed no health issues that would have kept him from working, he claimed.
“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 told the press.
