ATurkish Airlines flight en route from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York on Wednesday after the pilot died mid-flight.
Ilcehin Pehlivan, 59, lost consciousness while piloting the aircraft on Tuesday, The Straits Times reported. Despite efforts to revive him, Pehlivan could not be saved, prompting the crew to divert the flight to JFK while it was over Baffin Island in northern Canada.
A co-pilot took over to land the aircraft, The Guardian reported.
The plane landed safely at around 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Turkish Airlines said Pehlivan, who had been employed with the airline since 2007, died before the plane landed.
The airline did not disclose the cause of death but stated that the pilot had passed a routine health check in March, with no health concerns reported.
The airline has arranged alternate travel plans for the passengers to reach Istanbul.
Content by: Phan Anh
