Federal aviation authorities have launched an investigation after a viral video surfaced showing a Colorado Rockies coach performing a cockpit visit during a United Airlines charter flight last week, according to reports.
It is against federal safety regulations, made stricter following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, for unauthorized persons to be in the cockpit during a flight, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
In the video, Rockies hitting coach Hensley Meulens appears to be sitting in one of two pilot seats as the plane flies from Denver to Toronto at cruising altitude. He makes jokes with other people in the cockpit.
“I fly the plane here in Toronto,” Meulens said, pointing to a pilot sitting next to him.
“I’m going to land the plane tonight. So relax,” he said. Meulens then reaches for the flight controls and pretends to grab the steering wheel, saying, “I just push this button – and it goes down.”
Colorado Rockies under investigation by FAA and United Airlines after video shows coach Hensley Meulens punching in cockpit of team charter plane during the flight.pic.twitter.com/raRrpPBJzY
– Reception Sports (@FOS) April 19, 2024
The video was originally posted on Meulens’ social media channels but has since been deleted.
“Had a great time in the cockpit on our flight from Denver to Toronto,” the post’s caption read: according to the Denver Post. “Thank you to the captain and first officer of our United charter who allowed me this great experience.”
United told Business Insider in a statement: “We are deeply disturbed by what we see in this video, which appears to show an unauthorized person in the cockpit at cruising altitude while the autopilot was engaged.”
United Airlines said it was a flagrant violation of its safety and operational policies, and that the incident was reported to the FAA, which fired the pilots during the investigation.
An FAA spokesperson told BI: “TThe FAA is investigating this event. Federal regulations restrict access to the cockpit to specific individuals. »
Some airlines allow cockpit tours, but only when the plane is on the ground.
Rockies manager Bud Black told the Denver Post that Meulens apologized to the team and United Airlines and that the incident would not affect his employment with the club.
“I can’t really comment further due to the investigation into the matter,” Black said.
A United Airlines Boeing 777. Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The news comes after United suffered a cascade of problems last month. On March 4, United Flight 1118 from Houston to Texas was forced to turn around after one of the plane’s engines caught fire after takeoff. Three days later, one of the airline’s flights from San Francisco to Japan lost a tire on takeoff and was forced to make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport.
A post-flight inspection found that United Flight 433 from San Francisco to Oregon on March 15 had lost an external panel. The plane was an older model Boeing 737-800. The plane landed safely and without problems: the exterior panel was only discovered missing after the fact.
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