A Turkish Airlines flight made an emergency landing at New York’s Kennedy Airport early Wednesday after the captain died onboard.
Data tracking the flight shows the Airbus A350-900 was heading from Seattle to Istanbul, Turkey when it made an extreme turn toward the Big Apple.
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 crew decided to divert to JFK, where the plane landed safely shortly before 6 a.m.
Pehlivan had worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007 and had just passed a medical examination in March that showed no health problems.
Editor Oloyede Oworu
