The Captain of a Turkish Airlines flight from Seattle to Istanbul tragically died after suddenly fainting around four hours into the ultra-long-haul flight to Türkiye on Monday afternoon.
The veteran aviator, who, according to a Turkish Airlines spokesperson, had no known health conditions, died mid-flight despite desperate attempts by crew members to revive him.
The pilot has been identified as Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan, who was just 59 years old and had worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007.
Turkish Airlines flight TK204 departed Seatle Tacoma Airport at around 7 p.m. on October 8 for what should have been a routine 11-hour flight to Istanbul.
Around four hours into the flight, as the Airbus A350-1000 was flying over Greenland, they declared an emergency due to the Captain becoming incapacitated and decided to divert to New York JFK.
“During the flight of our Airbus A350 with tail number TC-LGR, on route TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul, Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan lost consciousness,” explained Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Ustun.
“After initial medical assistance onboard proved unsuccessful, the cockpit crew, consisting of one captain and one co-pilot, decided to execute an emergency landing. Unfortunately, our captain passed away before landing.”
Turkish Airlines said that Captain Pehlivan had undergone a routine medical examination on March 8, 2024. The examination did not reveal any underlying health conditions, and he was given the all-clear to continue flying.
The airline spokesperson added: “We wish our captain eternal peace and patience for his grieving family, as well as all his colleagues and loved ones.”
The aircraft remains on the ground at New York JFK, and Turkish Airlines is making alternative arrangements for passengers to continue their journey to Istanbul.
In this case, there were three pilots onboard, including a second Captain. The incident will, however, renew concerns over a push by some airlines and the airline manufacturer Airbus to have single-pilot operations cleared by regulators.
Single-pilot operations are currently focused on the cruise phase of flight, which would allow just one pilot to remain on the flight deck during long-haul flights while the second pilot sleeps in a dedicated crew bunk.
Airlines could potentially save big with single-pilot operations, or what is known as ‘extended Minimum Crew Operations’ (eMCO) within the aviation industry. Pilots’ unions have, however, blasted the proposals, claiming that it would lead to “significantly diminished flight safety.”
