CHICAGO — A disturbing international aviation incident is unfolding at O’Hare International Airport after Turkish Airlines lost track of a deceased passenger’s body during an emergency diversion to Chicago.
The incident began on July 13, when Turkish Airlines Flight TK79, operating an Airbus A350-900, departed Istanbul Airport (IST) bound for San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Midway through the transatlantic flight, 83-year-old Indian citizen Satyanarayana Pasupuleti suffered a fatal medical emergency, forcing the plane to divert to Chicago O’Hare (ORD).
Emergency Landing in Chicago, but No Record of the Body
While the aircraft did land safely at O’Hare and resumed its journey to San Francisco later that evening, serious concerns emerged after authorities discovered the passenger’s body never reached its expected destination.
Despite protocol requiring notification of local authorities for in-flight deaths, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed it was never contacted. In a statement provided to SFGATE, spokesperson Natalia Derevyanny said there was no record of the body ever being delivered to the county’s custody.
Conflicting Accounts from Turkish Airlines
Further complicating the matter, Turkish Airlines’ station manager Ertugrul Gulsen told reporters that the body was transferred to another flight bound for San Francisco, though he failed to provide any flight number, handling details, or confirmation from SFO authorities.
This murky chain of custody has left federal and local officials scrambling to determine whether the body was rerouted, mishandled, or simply lost after removal from the aircraft in Chicago.
International Protocols Questioned
The incident is now drawing attention to potential breakdowns in standard aviation death-handling procedures. Under International Air Transport Association (IATA) rules, flight crews must not remove a deceased person from an aircraft until local medical authorities arrive, and the body must be treated with dignity and secured respectfully.
While flight crews can assess medical emergencies with help from onboard medical professionals, they are not allowed to declare death — that duty lies with licensed officials on the ground.
The lack of documentation, absence of communication between Turkish Airlines and Cook County officials, and vague explanations from airline staff all point to serious procedural failures.
What Happens Next?
As of now, there is no confirmed location for Pasupuleti’s remains. Both U.S. authorities and Turkish Airlines say investigations are ongoing, though family members and the Indian consulate have yet to receive closure.
The situation raises difficult questions: How does a major airline lose a body mid-journey? And what safeguards are in place to prevent this from happening again?
With air travel on the rise, experts warn that better coordination is urgently needed between flight crews, local authorities, and medical examiners when in-flight deaths occur — especially during diversions.
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