Passenger death forces plane into international diversion - but there's 'no record' of body

Daily Mirror

24-07-2025

A Turkish Airlines passenger died during a journey from Istanbul to California last week, but it appears neither airline nor airport can explain where the body has gone
The body of a passenger who died during a long-haul international flight cannot be located, it has been claimed.
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A Turkish Airlines customer was travelling on an international flight from Istanbul heading to San Francisco on July 13 when they suffered a medical emergency. While it was en route to America, an "incident unfolded" over Greenland, the aviation blog Aviation A2Z reported.
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Ertugrul Gulsen, the Turkish Airlines station manager in the US, later confirmed that the flight diverted to Chicago O'Hare International Airport after a passenger died. However, a spokesperson for medical examiner, Natalia Derevyanny, said there is "no record" of a body being brought to them from the flight.
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SFGATE report that they were "not notified" of the death -and that the office have "no cases that would match the description of the incident". Mirror Online have contacted Turkish Airlines and the airport for confirmation.
According to the New York Post, Turkish Airlines station manager Ertugrul Gulsen confirmed the diversion to Chicago O'Hare and added that the passenger's remains were later placed on a separate flight to San Francisco. The outlet say he did not elaborate further on the matter.
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'Upon entering the airspace over the United States, the crew opted to land at CHICAGO O'HARE (ORD), a major international hub capable of handling emergency landings with adequate medical support and facilities,' Aviation A2Z reported, confirming the steps taken following the incident.
It isn't the only recent tragedy on board a Turkish Airlines plane after a pilot died mid-air last year. The flight took off from Seattle in the USA in October and was forced to land at New York. It was originally bound for Istanbul before tragedy struck and the pilot died on board.
An airline spokesman said: "The pilot of our Airbus 350... flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul collapsed during the flight. After an unsuccessful attempt to give first aid, the flight crew of another pilot and a co-pilot decided to make an emergency landing, but he died before landing."
The spokesman said the 59-year-old pilot, Ilcehin Pehlivan, had worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007. They added he had passed a medical examination in March, which gave no indication of any health problems.
The spokesman added: "We wish God's mercy upon our captain and patience to his grieving family, all his colleagues and loved ones." It is not clear how many passengers were onboard at the time. It landed successfully at JFK airport in New York shortly before 6am local time (about 11am BST).
The original flight from Seattle to Istanbul should have taken around 11 hours. The Turkish Airline plane was diverted after around eight hours flying time.