On Tuesday evening the pilot of a flight from Seattle to Istanbul collapsed and was unable to be revived. This caused an emergency landing in New York eight hours into the flight. The plane landed at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York just after shortly 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.
“Our Captain, İlçehin Pehlivan lost consciousness during the flight…After the initial medical intervention on board proved ineffective, the cockpit crew, consisting of one captain and one co-pilot, decided to make an emergency landing,” said Yahya Üstün, an airline spokesperson.
Pehlivan, who was just 59, reportedly passed before the plane even landed. He had gone through a health check in March which he passed, presenting no prevalent health issues. He had been with the Airline for the past 17 years.
Üstün wrapped up his statement by saying, “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.”
