The Turkish Airlines flight that took off on Tuesday afternoon from Seattle bound for Istanbul had to make an emergency landing in New York after the pilot collapsed mid-flight. The reasons for the man's death are currently unknown, as reported by Afp.
The plane was headed to Istanbul but, as Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Üstün informed X, had to change its plans due to the severity of the incident.
"The captain of our Airbus 350 (...) TK204 aircraft fainted during the flight. After an unsuccessful attempt at first aid, our cockpit crew (composed of two other pilots, editor's note) decided to make an emergency landing, but our captain lost his life before landing," Üstün detailed.
The 59-year-old pilot had successfully passed a routine medical exam in early March, as reported by the Turkish company.