Turkish Airlines Flight Diverts After Captain Dies Mid-Flight

In a tragic turn of events, a Turkish Airlines flight had to divert to New York after the captain collapsed and died mid-flight. The Airbus A350, which was operating the route from Seattle to Istanbul, was about four hours into its 11-hour journey when the emergency occurred. The crew declared an emergency over the Canadian Arctic and immediately diverted the plane to New York, according to Flightradar24.

Details of the Incident

Yahya Üstün, a spokesperson for Turkish Airlines, confirmed that the pilot was 59 years old and had been flying for the airline since 2007. He had recently undergone a medical examination in March, which cleared him to fly, and showed no health conditions that would have restricted him from performing his duties as a pilot. Despite this, the pilot died mid-flight, and despite immediate medical intervention, he sadly did not survive.

Emergency Response

Üstün provided further details on the crew’s actions during the emergency. He stated, “When the first medical intervention to our captain onboard was unsuccessful, the cockpit crew, consisting of one pilot and one co-pilot, decided to make an emergency landing. However, our pilot lost his life before landing.” The aircraft continued its emergency diversion to New York, and the passengers were subsequently transferred back to Turkey via New York, as planned.

A Rare but Tragic Occurrence

This incident, while tragic, is not the first of its kind in the aviation industry. In 2023, a similar incident occurred when a LATAM Airlines pilot became unwell and left the cockpit during a flight between Miami and Chile. He collapsed in the lavatory, and although the plane diverted to Panama City, the captain was declared dead upon landing. In another case, in 2015, a 57-year-old American Airlines pilot passed away on a flight from Boston to Phoenix.

Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of the late Turkish Airlines captain.

Youssef Yahya

Youssef Yahya is the CEO and Founder of Aviation for Aviators, a platform dedicated to the aviation industry. With over 3 years of experience as an aviation writer, Youssef is passionate about sharing his insights on aviation, entrepreneurship, and the broader business landscape. As a Teaching Assistant in Entrepreneurship at Nile University, he also nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurs. When he’s not exploring the skies or business ventures, you can find him saying, ‘Drag your coffee, and let’s talk aviation, entrepreneurship, and football.’

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