A Turkish Airlines plane bound for Istanbul made an emergency landing after the pilot, who was 59 years old, lost consciousness.
According to a spokesperson for the airline, the incident happened after the plane took off from Seattle’sTacoma International Airport.
After the first medical intervention was successful, another pilot decided to make the emergency landing at an airport in New York.
Although the Airbus A350 was able to make a successful landing at around 6 am, the pilot, identified as Pehlivan, was later declared dead.
According to stn, the pilot had been a part of Turkish Airlines since 2007.
He noted that a routine health check conducted in March revealed no issues that would prevent him from working.
The airline extended its condolences to the pilot’s family and his colleagues.
The Turkish Airlines pilot, who was reportedly 59 years old, had served the aviation industry for many years.
The country’s air traffic controllers also offered their condolences to his family and friends.
The cause of Pehlivan’s death is not known.
The passengers of the plane were able to get on the next flight to New York.