Turkish Airlines pilot dies mid-flight, forcing emergency landing

A Turkish Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in New York after one of its pilots collapsed and died mid-flight, the airline confirmed on Wednesday.

The plane, an Airbus 350, had departed from Seattle on Tuesday evening, heading to Istanbul, according to the airline’s spokesperson, Yahya Ustun, who shared the news on X.com

According to Ustun, the crew made the decision to initiate an emergency landing after first aid efforts failed, yet the pilot unfortunately died before the plane landed in New York.

“The pilot of our Airbus 350… flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul collapsed during the flight.

“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,” he wrote.

Ustun noted that the 59-year-old pilot, who had been with Turkish Airlines since 2007, had completed a routine medical exam in March, which reportedly showed no signs of health issues.