A Turkish Airlines Airbus A350, en route from Seattle to Istanbul, made an emergency landing at JFK. The pilot, Ilçehin Pehlivan, lost consciousness mid-flight after takeoff on Tuesday night. Crew members took swift action, performing emergency procedures, but despite their best efforts, he passed away before landing.
Flight TK204 landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport at 6 a.m., and arrangements were made for passengers to continue their journey. Pehlivan, who had been with Turkish Airlines since 2007, had no known health issues, based on a routine March checkup. Read Also: Wakanow Sponsors Aviation Career Seminar through Wakacares CSR
“As Turkish Airlines, we deeply feel the loss of our captain and extend our sincerest condolences to his bereaved family,” said Yahya Üstün, the airline spokesperson. Emergency landing at JFK became necessary as a result of the tragic incident. Pehlivan’s passing has deeply impacted his colleagues and the aviation community at large.
