A Turkish Airlines pilot tragically died mid-flight, prompting an emergency landing in New York. The incident occurred on flight TK204, an Airbus 350, which had taken off from Seattle on Tuesday evening en route to Istanbul.
In a statement on Wednesday, airline spokesperson Yahya Ustun confirmed the pilot collapsed during the flight. Despite immediate first aid efforts, the 59-year-old pilot could not be revived.
The flight crew, consisting of another pilot and a co-pilot, decided to make an emergency landing in New York, but the pilot passed away before the plane could land.
Ustun also noted that the pilot had worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007 and had undergone a medical examination as recently as March, which revealed no health concerns.