A Turkish Airlines flight from Seattle, Washington to Istanbul, Turkey was forced to make an emergency landing at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport after one of its pilots, Captain İlçehin Pehlivan, collapsed mid-flight and subsequently passed away. 

The airline confirmed the incident, which occurred on October 8, 2024, and stated that emergency personnel met the Airbus A350 on the runway upon its landing. The 59-year-old captain was piloting Flight TK204, which took off from Seattle on Tuesday night, on its transatlantic journey when he experienced a medical emergency.

“The pilot of our Airbus 350… flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul collapsed during the flight,” said Yahya Üstün, Turkish Airlines’ senior vice president of media relations. “After an unsuccessful attempt to give first aid, the flight crew… decided to make an emergency landing, but he died before landing.” 

FlightAware, a flight-tracking company, noted that the aircraft was flying over northern Canada when it rerouted south to New York City. The flight landed safely around 6 a.m. local time on Wednesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Emergency medical services were immediately on standby, and passengers were later rebooked on other flights to their destinations. 

Üstün expressed his condolences on behalf of the airline, stating that the loss of their captain was deeply felt, and extended sincere sympathies to his family, colleagues, and all those close to him.

Captain Pehlivan had been with Turkish Airlines since 2007. His most recent routine medical examination, completed in March, had shown no indications of health issues that would have compromised his ability to fly. Turkish Airlines confirmed that he had passed all required health checks prior to the incident.

In-flight pilot incapacitation is a rare but serious event. On commercial flights, such incidents are estimated to occur between 0.1 and 0.3 per million flight hours, often caused by cardiovascular issues, gastroenteritis, or hypoxia. 

The redundancy of a two-pilot system generally ensures the safety of passengers, as the remaining pilot can take over the controls. Notably, in 2015, an American Airlines pilot died mid-flight, and the first officer successfully diverted the plane to Syracuse, New York. A recent FAA report emphasizes the importance of stringent medical screenings and recurrent training to mitigate risks, underscoring that multi-pilot cockpits help maintain safety even if one pilot becomes incapacitated.

The FAA and local emergency services worked with Turkish Airlines to ensure all passengers were safe and accommodations were made following the diversion. Turkish Airlines noted that its priority was to assist the passengers and the late captain’s family through this difficult time.