Turkish pilot dies midflight, prompting emergency landing in NYC

A Turkish pilot died during a flight to Istanbul
The crew made an emergency landing in New York
It's unclear what caused the pilot's death

Updated: Oct 9, 2024 / 01:42 PM CDT

FILE – Turkish Airlines airplanes are parked at Ataturk International Airport, in Istanbul, Friday, April 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)

(NewsNation) — A Turkish Airlines flight made an emergency landing Wednesday in New York after the pilot died midflight from Seattle to Istanbul, the airline announced.

The pilot, 59-year-old Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan, lost consciousness on an Airbus that left Seattle–Tacoma International Airport at 7:02 p.m. PT on Tuesday. Attempts to revive Pehlivan were unsuccessful, and he died before the cockpit crew could make an emergency landing, Turkish Airlines said in an official statement.

Another captain and co-pilot were onboard at the time. The crew made the emergency landing just before 6 a.m. ET at John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to Flight Aware travel data.

It’s unclear what caused the pilot’s death. A regular health exam earlier this year showed no health conditions that would have prevented him from flying, the airline said.

Passengers are expected to resume their trip to Istanbul from New York.

Additional details were not immediately available.