An 11-year-old passenger onboard a flight from Istanbul to JFK International Airport in New York City on Sunday reportedly became fatally ill. A doctor on the Turkish Airlines flight tried to save her and the pilot made an emergency landing in Budapest, but the child did not survive. The family reportedly stayed in Budapest, and the flight landed in New York nearly five hours later, according to the airline.
The 11-year-old girl’s nationality is unknown at this time, and Turkish Airlines says it is unable to provide this information because of privacy laws, NBC News reported.
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The pilot made an emergency stop, hoping to save the girl.
Flight TK003 left Turkey at 8:56 a.m. local time but quickly rerouted to Hungary once the 11-year-old passenger started having trouble, per the New York Post.
"Our cabin crew made the announcement on the PA system for any doctors onboard while the captain of the flight immediately diverted to Budapest," the airline said, according to NBC News.
Once the plane made an emergency landing, medical teams boarded to help the girl but were unable to save her.
“Airport Medical Service (AMS), the medical service operating at Ferenc Liszt International Airport, was alerted to the aircraft and continued to resuscitate the child,” said a representative for the airline, per the Post. The cause of the child's death has not yet been disclosed.
Turkish Airlines could not disclose information about the child but offered its condolences.
The child's family departed the flight during the emergency landing in Budapest, according to NBC News. The child’s identity and citizenship has not been disclosed because of Turkish privacy laws, but the airline offered sympathy to the young girl’s family. "We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones and share their pain," Turkish Airlines said, per the news outlet.
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The flight eventually arrived in New York after a delay of more than four hours.
After making the emergency landing in Budapest, the flight eventually landed at JFK International Airport four and a half hours later than scheduled. Airline diversions are costly and only happen in truly urgent or critical situations. A single flight diversion can lead to costs from $50,000 to $600,000, but each situation is unique, according to Simple Flying.
In addition to airlines carrying emergency medical equipment onboard and making a diversion when necessary, passengers can also help play a role in their flight safety by carrying any necessary medications with them and notifying the airline of any severe allergies, Simple Flying notes.
Though medical emergencies while an airplane is in flight are rare, they are not entirely uncommon.
A study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine noted that 1 in every 600 commercial flights will have a medical event along the way, per Simple Flying. This represents about 44,000 flights worldwide annually, which highlights the need for airlines to be prepared, the site noted.
The Federal Aviation Administration has required US airlines to carry AEDs since 2004, though non-US airlines are not required to do so, according to Simple Flying.
