Turkish Airlines pilot dies at the controls during a flight

A Turkish Airlines plane flying from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York due to the sudden death of the pilot.

An airline spokesman said pilot Ilchekhin Pehlivan, 59, who was flying the Airbus 350, lost consciousness during the flight. The plane was at that moment over the remote Canadian province of Nunavut at an altitude of 11,900 meters. Crew members tried to give him first aid, and the co-pilot took control. He urgently turned the plane around and requested an emergency landing in New York. The first pilot died before the plane landed.

This incident occurred on Tuesday, October 8th.

The airline said Ilcehin Pehlivan had worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007 and underwent annual medical examinations. During his last medical examination in March, no health problems were identified.