The plane had taken off from the western U.S. coastal city of Seattle on Oct. 8 evening, airline spokesman Yahya Üstün wrote on X.

«The pilot of our Airbus 350… flight TK204 from Seattle to Istanbul collapsed during the flight,» he wrote.

«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 59-year-old pilot, who had worked for Turkish Airlines since 2007, had passed a medical examination in March, which gave no indication of any health problems, Üstün wrote.

Turkish Airlines doesn’t frequently encounter health complaints among cabin crew or emergency landings.

Üstün expressed condolences on behalf of his company in a statement, saying, “We wish our captain eternal peace and patience for his grieving family, as well as all his colleagues and loved ones.”

THY,