Pilot dies while flying a Turkish Airlines plane from the USA to Turkey

A Turkish Airlines pilot has died after falling ill on his own flight from Seattle, on the northwest coast of the United States, to Istanbul, Turkey.

Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan, 59, collapsed in mid-air and a second pilot and co-pilot took control, an airline spokesman said on X.

“When first aid for our captain on the plane was unsuccessful, the cockpit crew decided to make an emergency landing, but he died before landing,” explained Yahya Ustun.

The Airbus A350 aircraft landed in New York and the plan was to fly the passengers from there to Turkey, he added.

Flight TK204 departed Seattle shortly after 7:00 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday evening. The pilot appeared to have run into trouble over the Canadian territory of Nunavut before his colleagues took command and headed to John F. Kennedy Airport.

The plane landed in New York about eight hours after departure from Seattle.

Mr. Pehlivan has flown with Turkish Airlines since 2007 and underwent a regular health check in early March, which did not reveal any health problems that could affect his job, the airline said.

Turkish Air Traffic Controllers Association TATCA said he had served the aviation community for many years and expressed condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

The pilot's cause of death was not disclosed. Pilots must undergo a medical examination every 12 months, while those over 40 must renew their medical certificate every six months.

In 2015 A 57-year-old American Airlines pilot collapsed and died during a night flight from Phoenix to Boston.

The first officer took command and made an emergency landing in Syracuse.

Currently, there must always be two pilots in the cockpit of a large commercial aircraft.

However, The EU Aviation Safety Agency says the technology is continuing to develop to allow a single pilot to control large passenger aircraft during the cruise phase of flight. Such a move would allow other members of the cockpit to rest, although the agency stressed that measures were needed to ensure safety and respond to crew “incapacitation.”

The European Cockpit Association and other pilot groups have joined forces to challenge the initiative, arguing that reducing crew at any time would jeopardize safety on board.