Turkish Airlines pilot dies mid-flight, what happened next
A Turkish Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in New York after the pilot collapsed and died mid-flight on Wednesday. The incident took place on Flight TK204 which was headed from Seattle to Istanbul. Airline spokesman Yahya Ustun confirmed the tragic event on social media, saying that Pehlivan lost consciousness at some point after takeoff and despite first aid attempts by the crew, died before the plane could land.
Flight diversion and safe landing in New York
Flight tracking data from FlightAware showed the plane flying over northern Canada before diverting south toward New York. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the flight "landed safely at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York around 6am local time on Wednesday, October 9." Pehlivan had been working with Turkish Airlines since 2007 and had passed a medical examination in March. The examination, approved by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, showed no health problems.
