Turkish Airlines is mourning the loss of one of their pilots aboard an Airbus A350 that departed Seattle, forcing the flight to divert to New York.

A Turkish Airline flight bound for Istanbul was cut short on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, after the aircraft lost one of its pilots mid-flight.

ABC News reports the Airbus A350 operating the flight diverted to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) after medical intervention to revive the pilot was unsuccessful.

Pilot Suffered “Medical Emergency” Forcing Early Landing in New York

Turkish Airlines Flight 204 departed without any issues from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) at around 7 PM Pacific Time, bound for Istanbul Airport (IST) in Turkey. The airline tells ABC News Capt. İlçehin Pehlivan lost consciousness while the flight was still over North America, described by the FAA as having an “medical emergency.”

Although an attempt at first aid was made aboard the flight, Pehlivan was pronounced dead before landing. According to FlightAware24, the flight touched down at JFK around 6 AM Eastern Time without incident. The remaining two pilots aboard the flight successfully landed the flight, with medical teams meeting the aircraft upon landing.

The airline says Pehlivan had his last medical exam in March 2024, and there were no indicators of any health problems which could have prevented his operating an aircraft. A final cause of death has yet to be determined.

It is unknown how many flyers were aboard the flight. The airline says they are working with those affected to continue their travel to Istanbul.

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