Officials are scrambling to explain a troubling mystery after a Turkish Airlines passenger died on a flight to California — and now the body is missing.
The passenger died on Turkish Airlines Flight TK79 from Istanbul to San Francisco on July 13, following what was described as a “severe medical emergency” midair, according to an aviation news outlet. The incident initially prompted plans for an emergency landing in Iceland, but the flight continued over the Atlantic and instead landed at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Upon landing, the deceased passenger was removed from the aircraft. Turkish Airlines station manager Ertugrul Gulsen confirmed to Aviation A2Z that the remains were later placed on a separate flight to San Francisco. However, key questions remain unanswered, including where the body was taken and why officials cannot locate it.
“There is no record of any remains from that flight being received by our office,” said Natalia Derevyanny, spokesperson for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, in a statement to The office, which typically takes custody of individuals who die during transit in Chicago, has no open case matching the incident.
The cause of death has not been released, and officials have not disclosed the passenger’s name, age, or nationality. No official explanation has been offered for how or when the body allegedly transferred to another flight, or why there is no record of it arriving in either Chicago or San Francisco.
Under normal procedures, a passenger who dies in U.S. airspace should be transferred to local medical examiners upon landing. Aviation experts say the urgency to land quickly decreases once a death is confirmed, allowing crews to prioritize larger airports equipped to handle complex logistics, such as customs and health authorities.
As of now, Turkish Airlines has not issued a formal statement to the public or media. Both the airline and federal officials have remained quiet about the discrepancy. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have not commented on the case.
The story continues to raise alarm among aviation safety observers and the public. “How does a body just disappear from a major airport?” one commenter wrote under a news thread. “This needs answers.”
The case remains open, and pressure is mounting on both Turkish Airlines and airport officials to clarify what happened after the flight landed. Families of passengers and aviation watchdogs are now calling for an internal investigation.