CurrentReport Blog In a tragic incident, a Turkish Airlines flight made an emergency landing in New York after a pilot collapsed and died mid-flight. The airline announced the news on Wednesday, revealing that the pilot, who was 59 years old, passed away despite efforts to administer first aid.
The flight, TK204, was en route from Seattle to Istanbul when the pilot collapsed. According to the airline’s spokesperson, Yahya Ustun, who shared the details on X (formerly known as Twitter), the crew acted quickly but was unable to save the pilot’s life.
“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,” Ustun wrote.
The flight, which took off from Seattle on Tuesday evening, was diverted to New York where the emergency landing was carried out. Ustun also noted that the pilot had been working for Turkish Airlines since 2007 and had recently passed a medical examination in March, with no signs of health issues.
This tragic event has raised concerns about mid-flight medical emergencies and the safety protocols in place for such situations. The airline expressed its condolences to the family and colleagues of the deceased pilot.
