Turkish Airlines flight makes emergency landing at JFK after pilot dies

A Turkish Airlines flight made an emergency landing at JFK International Airport in New York after the pilot fainted mid-flight, the airline said Wednesday. 

The plane had taken off from Seattle on Tuesday and was intended to land in Istanbul, according to Turkish Airlines spokesman Yahya Üstün. However, the pilot collapsed during the flight, and he died after attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. 

“The pilot of our Airbus 350… flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul collapsed during the flight,” Üstün wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

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“After an unsuccessful attempt to give first aid, the flight crew of another pilot and a co-pilot decided to make an emergency landing, but he died before landing.”

The flight tracking website FlightAware shows that Turkish Airlines flight TK204 departed from Seattle on Tuesday at 7:02 p.m. and landed at JFK on Wednesday at 5:57 a.m.

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Exterior view of JFK Airport in New York on Nov. 19, 2023. (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Turkish Airlines identified the pilot as İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, who had worked for the airline since 2007. 

According to the spokesman, Pehlivan underwent a periodic health exam on Aug. 3 and was given a clean bill of health by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation. 

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This photograph taken on November 14, 2023 shows a Turkish Airlines’ logo on an office building in Istanbul. Turkish Airlines.  (Getty Images / Getty Images)

The passengers on diverted flight TK204 will be flown to Istanbul from JFK International, according to the airline. 

“As the Turkish Airlines family, we wish God’s mercy upon our captain and patience to his grieving family, all his colleagues and loved ones,” Üstün said. 

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FOX Business reached out to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for comment.