A pilot from the Turkish airline Turkish Airlines died in mid-flight after suffering a decompensation, which led the plane to make an emergency landing in New York this Wednesdaythe airline reported.
According to the criteria of
The aircraft, which departed Tuesday night from Seattle, on the west coast of the United States, was headed to the Turkish city of Istanbul, Turkish Airlines spokesman Yahya Üstün said in X.
“The captain of our Airbus 350 (…) TK204 fainted during the flight. After an unsuccessful first aid attempt, our cabin [compuesta por otros dos pilotos] decided to make an emergency landing, but our captain lost his life before landing,” the spokesperson explained.
Districthin PEHLİVAN, the Captain Pilot of our Airbus 350 type aircraft with tail registration TC-LGR, operating the Seattle-Istanbul flight TK204, fainted during the flight. When the first medical intervention given to our captain on the plane was inconclusive, 1 captain and 1 co-pilot…
— Yahya ÜSTÜN (@yhyustun) October 9, 2024
The 59-year-old pilot had undergone a periodic medical examination at the beginning of Marchspecified the Turkish company.
The company noted that Pehlivan had worked at Turkish Airlines since 2007 and was 59 years old. “On March 3, 2024, a health examination was carried out at the Aviation Medical Center authorized by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation and no health problems were detected that could affect him or prevent him from working,” they stated.
“As a Turkish Airlines family, we wish God’s mercy for our captain and patience for all his colleagues and loved ones, especially his grieving family,” they concluded.
What happens when someone dies on board?
As with everything that happens on airplanes, the death of one of its passengers or crew has a special protocol to follow that has a series of steps to follow. Dan Bubb – who was a commercial pilot in the United States – explained to News Week how to act in the event of any contingency, and assured that both pilots and cabin crew are trained to resolve any unforeseen event.
The crew is only trained to give first aid, so in case of a serious condition they would have to make an emergency landing at the nearest stop, as happened with Pehlivan’s death.
On the other hand, Bubb stressed that the first thing the crew does if someone dies on board is to move the body to a special compartment, trying to generate as little disturbance as possible among the rest of the travelers: “If a passenger dies, they will be removed. discreetly from the central body of the plane and, to avoid disturbing other passengers, the crew will not inform passengers that a passenger has died,” he said.
If the aircraft does not have this special cabin for the deceased, the flight attendants must cover the body, leave it in its seat and put the seat belt on.
AFP AND THE NATION (ARGENTINA) / GDA
