A Turkish national carrier was forced to make an emergency landing in New York after the flight’s pilot collapsed and later died mid-flight, the airline confirmed on Wednesday.
The airline’s spokesperson, Yahya Ustun, announced via X (formerly Twitter) that the incident occurred during flight TK204, which had taken off from Seattle on Tuesday evening, heading for Istanbul.
“The pilot of our Airbus 350… flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul collapsed during the flight,” Ustun wrote.
Despite efforts by the crew to administer first aid, the 59-year-old pilot passed away before the plane could make an emergency landing.
“After an unsuccessful attempt to give first aid, the flight crew, which included another pilot and a co-pilot, decided to make an emergency landing, but he died before landing,” the airline spokesman added.
The pilot, who had been working with the airline since 2007, had undergone a routine medical examination in March, which had revealed no health concerns, Ustun said.
