An Airbus A350 aircraft making its way from Seattle to Istanbul took a turnaround and made an emergency landing in New York after a Turkish Airlines pilot fell dead off the flight during the transatlantic trip, sources said, revealing a history of medical complications in the pilot.
Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan, who is 59 years old, experienced a medical emergency while on the flight. This happened on board of a plane flying from Seattle, USA to Istanbul, Turkey. The first officer, who also serves as a co-pilot, took control of the airplane immediately after seeing his captain lose consciousness. Time after the incident passed by and none of the first aid offered by the crew was showing any results on the captain’s state; they had to decide and divert the plane to land at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York.
Flight TK 204 took off from Seattle around 7 pm in the Pacific Time. When it crossed over the Canadian territory Nunavut, the captain’s condition worsened, and he was replaced by the co-pilot, who successfully managed an emergency landing on the runways of New York eight hours after take-off. According to authorities, all the passengers on board were accounted for; they would be shifted to another flight en route to Istanbul, from where they were supposed to take a connecting flight to continue on their journey.
Captain Pehlivan has been with Turkish Airlines since 2007, with an impeccable service record in the aviation sector. He had passed a routine medical checkup in March, showing no medical issues that would incapacitate him from his activities. Indeed, according to Yahya Ustun, a Turkish Airlines’ official spokesperson, there were no symptoms indicating the possibility of any health condition that may have led to this unfortunate event.
The aviation community and colleagues of Captain Pehlivan are mourning this incident. Turkish Air Traffic Controllers’ Association TATCA published a condolence letter on the passing of Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan acknowledging his years of aviation service: “We are devastated by the loss of Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan, who has served our community so highly for many years. We extend our sympathy to his family, friends, and fellow crew members during this trying period.”
The actual reason why the pilot suddenly fell is still not known and is still under investigation. One of the requirements for pilots is to pass annual medical check-ups, and those above 40 years of age have to renew their medical certificate every six months. The high health standards are all in place to ensure the suitability of the pilots for such a burdensome undertaking of flying an aircraft.
This was not the first incident of its kind. Four years ago, an American Airlines pilot aged 57 died from a medical emergency while flying from Phoenix to Boston; the control of the aircraft was successfully taken over by the first officer, who landed it safely in Syracuse. Such an incident has sparked and continues to pose intense debate in the aviation sector regarding pilots’ health control and greater safety measures.
A great controversy is also springing up concerning crew size in cockpits. Nowadays, it has been a regulatory requirement that two pilots must be flown at all times in commercial airplanes. The advancement of technology, though, has driven the EU’s aviation safety agency to push for the single pilot to take over a plane during the cruise phase of flight.
This proposal has been opposed by various pilot associations- among them the European Cockpit Association- it argues that the count of two crew members will be compromised and cannot ensure safety. According to them, having two qualified pilots in the cockpit will help to handle any unexpected medical or technical emergencies, as demonstrated in this unfortunate event.
For this purpose, aviation experts express that medical screening for pilots should be held at strict levels and more investments need to be in the new technological developments that support a healthy life amidst flight safety. In this way, such disastrous events are lessened, and dedication towards the betterment of both passenger and crew’s health is ensured.
The loss of Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan questions pilot health standards as well as the safety of aviation in the future. Mournful aside, the aviation communities now seek ways to make these systems solid enough to cope with such non-predictive events but keep the skies the safest possible for passengers and crew.
Read About Photograph of the Year
To Read More: Global