Photo: BAKR ALKASEM / AFP / Getty Images
The body of a passenger who died on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to San Francisco is reportedly unaccounted for after the plane was diverted to Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The incident occurred on Turkish Airlines Flight 79 on July 13, when the passenger suffered a severe medical emergency over Greenland, according to SFGATE.
Initially, the crew considered diverting to Keflavik Airport in Iceland, but the passenger's condition worsened, resulting in their death. The decision was then made to continue to North America, with the flight eventually landing in Chicago, as reported by KTLA.
Upon landing, the body was expected to come under the jurisdiction of the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. However, spokesperson Natalia Derevyanny stated that there was no record of the deceased passenger or any case matching the description. The Turkish Airlines station manager in San Francisco confirmed that the remaining passengers were rerouted on different flights to reach their destination.
The airline has not commented on the circumstances surrounding the death, nor confirmed the passenger’s identity, nationality, or gender. Yahoo News reported that the whereabouts of the passenger's remains remain unclear.
Deaths during flights are rare, with a study in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine indicating a mortality rate of 0.21 per million passengers. Turkish Airlines has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the missing body.