A Turkish Airlines pilot died after collapsing mid-flight, forcing Turkey’s flag carrier to make an emergency landing in New York, the airline said Wednesday. The incident occurred after the plane took off from Seattle on Tuesday evening, aviation spokesperson Yahya Ustun wrote on social media.
“The pilot of our Airbus 350… flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul collapsed in flight,” he wrote. “After a failed attempt to provide first aid, the flight crew of another pilot and a co-pilot decided to make an emergency landing, but he died before landing.”
A map from flight tracking company FlightAware appears to show the plane flying over northern Canada before turning south toward New York.
In a statement, the FAA said the flight “landed safely at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport around 6 a.m. local time on Wednesday, October 9, after one of the pilots suffered a medical emergency.”
The 59-year-old pilot, who had worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007, had undergone a medical examination in March, which showed no indications of health problems, Ustun writes.
“We wish God’s mercy on our captain and patience on his grieving family, all his colleagues and loved ones,” he said.
