Turkish Airlines pilot dies during flight, forcing emergency landing at JFK

A plane was forced into an emergency landing in New York after a tragic incident happened within the cockpit of the aircraft.

A Turkish Airlines flight made a sudden emergency landing at New York’s Kennedy Airport early Wednesday morning after the captain died on-board, airline officials said.

The Airbus A350-900 was heading from Seattle to Istanbul, Turkey when it made an extreme turn toward the Big Apple, data from flight tracking site FlightAware shows.

The Turkish Airlines flight made an emergency landing at New York’s JFK after the man died.

The 59-year-old pilot, identified as Ilcehin Pehlivan, “collapsed” during the flight, airline spokesman Yahya Ustun wrote on X.

“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,” the spokesperson said.

The 59-year-old pilot was identified as Ilcehin Pehlivan.

A Turkish Airlines flight made an emergency landing at New York’s Kennedy Airport

The crew decided to divert to JFK, where the plane landed safely shortly before 6am.

Pehlivan had worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007 and had just passed a medical examination in March that showed no health problems, Ustun said.

“As the Turkish Airlines family, we wish God’s mercy upon our captain and patience to his grieving family, all his colleagues and loved ones,” the spokesperson said.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and has been republished with permission