A frantic search is underway for the body of a passenger who died during a long-haul international flight from Istanbul to San Francisco, California on July 13. The customer, aboard flight TK79 operated by Turkish Airlines, suffered a medical emergency over Greenland, according to the aviation blog Aviation A2Z.
Unfortunately, the passenger died while aboard the Airbus A350-941, after which the flight was diverted to Chicago O’Hare International Airport, later confirmed by Ertugrul Gulsen, the Turkish Airlines station manager in the US. However, a spokesperson for the medical examiner, Natalia Derevyanny, said there is “no record” of a body being brought to them from the flight. SFGATE reported that they were “not notified” of the death and that the office has “no cases that would match the description of the incident”.
The Express has contacted Turkish Airlines, Chicago O’Hare International Airport for confirmation. The airport referred us to Turkish Airlines.
As soon as the passenger suffered a severe medical emergency, the crew initiated a holding pattern. This maneuver is a standard procedure that provides time to assess the passenger’s condition, coordinate with medical professionals via radio, and evaluate diversion options. Initially, the crew prepared to divert to Keflavik Airport (KEF) in Iceland, the nearest major diversion point.
However, as the passenger’s condition worsened, eventually resulting in their passing, the necessity for an urgent diversion diminished. Consequently, the decision was made to continue toward North America rather than divert outside the US airspace.
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 said he did not elaborate further on the matter.
The Airbus A350 safely landed at Chicago before continuing its route or arranging further connections for the passengers.
“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.