A Turkish Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in the early hours of Wednesday, Oct. 9, after the captain onboard suddenly died.
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The Turkish Airlines Airbus A-350-900 had departed from Seattle around 7:00 p.m. local time and was heading to Turkey’s capital, Istanbul, when it was forced to land in New York City, FlightAware data reveal.
In a statement, on CBS News, the FAA stated the flight “landed safely at John F. Kennedy International Airport around 6 a.m. local time after the one of the pilots suffered a medical emergency.”
Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Ustun revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that the flight made an emergency landing when the pilot, identified as Ilchehin Pehivan, “collapsed.”
“When the first medical intervention to our captain on the plane was ineffective, the cockpit crew consisting of 1 captain and 1 co-pilot decided to make an emergency landing,” Ustun explained. “But our captain lost his life before landing.”
Ustun also revealed that the 59-year-old pilot had worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007. He even passed a medication examination earlier this year and didn’t show any health problems. “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,” Ustun noted.
He then added, “Our plane has decided to land in New York, and our passengers’ return home is planned via New York station.”
No further details about the pilot or the flight status have been revealed at this time.
The Turkish Airlines Pilot Dies Nearly a Decade After American Airlines Captain Died Mid-Flight
Nearly a decade before the Turkish Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing, an American Airlines flight experienced a similar situation when its captain died while in the air.
According to NBC News, American Airlines Capt. Michael Johnston died of a heart attack mid-flight from Phoenix to Boston in early Oct. 2015. According to his wife, the pilot had a double-bypass heart surgery in 2006. However, he had otherwise been in good health. She also shared that American Airlines required its pilots to have a physical every six months.
“He loves flying,” his wife, Betty Jean shared at the time. “He is very loving and caring, and he’ll do anything for anybody – bend over backwards, try and help out anyone as much as he can. He’s always been that way.”
She and the pilot were parents of eight kids ages 12 to 34. They were going to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary that same month.