Early on Wednesday morning, a Turkish Airlines pilot died in the middle of a long-haul flight from Seattle to Istanbul, forcing an emergency landing at New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport. A company spokesperson released a statement on X, formerly Twitter, explaining that the captain, identified as Ilcehin Pehlivan, lost consciousness while in the air and did not respond to medical intervention. The spokesperson also noted that, in March, the 59-year-old underwent a routine health evaluation, which did not turn up any issues. Pehlivan had reportedly worked at the airline since 2007. A translation of the tweet wishes “God’s mercy on our captain and patience to all his colleagues and loved ones, especially his grieving family.”
