A Turkish Airlines passenger plane made an emergency landing at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport on Wednesday. The emergency landing occurred after the captain suddenly passed away.
According to the AP, Turkish Airlines Flight 204, which had departed from Seattle, Washington, on the U.S. West Coast the night before and was headed to Istanbul, Turkey, made an emergency landing in New York after the captain passed away suddenly.
In a statement, a Turkish Airlines spokesperson said that Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan lost consciousness at some point after taking off from Seattle. Despite emergency measures being taken, he did not regain consciousness.
The spokesperson added that the co-pilot immediately decided to make an emergency landing to transport the captain to the emergency room. Still, the captain passed away before the plane could land.
According to FlightAware, a site that tracks aircraft takeoffs and landings, the Airbus A350 landed at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport just before 6 a.m.
The airline’s spokesperson explained that the passengers on board took other flights from New York to their destinations.
Turkish Airlines reported that Captain Pehlivan, who passed away on board, had been working as a pilot for the airline since 2007. A routine medical examination in March revealed no health issues that would interfere with his duties.
Turkish Airlines expressed deep condolences, stating that the late captain was a family member and colleague.
