The captain of a Turkish Airlines flight from Seattle to Istanbul has died after being taken ill while the aircraft was airborne over Greenland. The crew elected to turn around and make an emergency landing at New York-JFK Airport, where the captain was sadly pronounced dead upon arrival.
According to the Aviation Herald, the incident unfolded onboard Turkish Airlines flight TK204 flying from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Istanbul-Ataturk Airport on the evening of October 8, 2024. The flight was being operated by one of the carrier’s 24-strong fleet of Airbus A350-900 aircraft with the registration TC-LGR.
Data obtained from Flightradar24 shows that Flight TK204 departed Seattle at 19:01 local time for its eleven-hour flight to the Turkish city. The flight proceeded north, crossing over northern Canada and heading east towards Greenland, reaching a cruising altitude of 39,000 south of Baffin Island. Around four hours into the flight, the captain became incapacitated. The remaining flight crew, consisting of a relief pilot and a first officer, declared an emergency and elected to head south for an emergency landing at New York-JFK Airport.
The aircraft touched down safely at JFK Airport at 02:56, around eight hours after departing Seattle, whereupon medical crews entered the aircraft. However, it was found that the captain, named by the airline as Ilcehin Pehlivan, had already passed away before the aircraft’s arrival.
“The captain of our Airbus 350 type aircraft with the tail registration TC-LGR, operating flight number TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul fainted during the flight,” said a statement issued by the airline. “When the first medical intervention to our captain on the plane was ineffective, the cockpit crew consisting of a captain and a co-pilot decided to make an emergency landing, but our captain lost his life before landing.”
“Having worked at Turkish Airlines since 2007, the captain was 59 years old. A periodic health examination was carried out on March 8, 2024, at the Aviation Medical Center authorized by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation in Turkey, and no health problem was detected that would prevent him from working. Our plane has decided to land in New York, and our passengers’ return home is planned via New York station,” it continued. “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.”
The aircraft remains on the ground in New York at the time of writing, around four hours after its arrival. According to ch-aviation, the plane concerned is less than a year old, having been delivered to Turkish Airlines in February 2024. Although the exact number onboard the affected flight is not known, the aircraft is configured to carry 329 passengers in a two-class configuration (32 in business class and 297 in economy).
TK204 operates daily from Seattle to Istanbul, departing SEA at 18:40 and scheduled to arrive in IST at 16:40 local time the following day.