Turkish Airlines pilot's death mid-flight prompts emergency landing in New York

A Turkish Airlines flight from Seattle to Istanbul made an emergency landing at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport after its 59-year-old captain died mid-flight.

Flight 8JK, an Airbus A350-900, landed around 6 a.m. after first-aid efforts to help the man who lost consciousness on board proved ineffective, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. A co-pilot took over and landed the aircraft successfully.

The name of the killed pilot is Ilchehin Pehlivan. Turkish Airlines told NBC News that it had employed him since 2007 and that he had his last regular health checkup in March when no health problems that would affect his duties were found.

“As Turkish Airlines, we deeply feel the loss of our captain and offer our sincere condolences to his bereaved family, colleagues and all his loved ones,” the airline said in a statement.

The airline said passengers were being rerouted from JFK to Istanbul.

The FAA requires two crew members in the cockpit at all times, and pilots over the age of 40 must undergo two physicals a year.

In 2015, an American Airlines pilot was sickened and died on an overnight red-eye flight from Phoenix to Boston.