A Turkish Airlines pilot tragically passed away mid-flight, prompting an emergency landing in New York, the airline reported on Wednesday.
The aircraft had departed from Seattle on Tuesday evening when the incident occurred.
Airline spokesman Yahya Ustun shared details on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The pilot of our Airbus A350, flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul, collapsed during the flight.”
Despite the crew’s attempts to administer first aid, the decision was made to divert and land the plane as the pilot unfortunately succumbed to his condition before reaching the ground.
The deceased pilot, aged 59, had been with Turkish Airlines since 2007 and had recently passed a medical examination in March, which indicated no existing health issues, Ustun added.