Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 Captain Dies Mid-Flight

Second-in-Command and relief pilot land safely at New York JFK International Airport.

Mark Phelps

Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 09:30 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

[Courtesy: Turkish Airlines]

Key Takeaways:

A Turkish Airlines captain died mid-flight from Seattle to Istanbul, prompting the remaining crew to divert the aircraft safely to JFK.
The incident reignites concerns and discussions around proposals for single-pilot operations in commercial aviation.
While the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) explores single-pilot technology for crew rest, pilot groups worldwide strongly oppose such initiatives, citing potential erosion of safety standards.

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In an incident that is bound to elicit a response to calls for enabling single-pilot operations, a Turkish Airlines captain died in midair after becoming ill on a flight from Seattle, Washington, to Istanbul, Turkey.

The second in command and a relief pilot took over and Flight TK204 diverted to John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK), where it landed safely.