FAA Investigates Why A Rockies Team Member Was In The Cockpit Of A United Airlines Charter Flight
Summary
- An unauthorized person(s) entered United Boeing 757 cockpit during a sports charter flight.
- Colorado Rockies coach filmed in captain’s seat during charter flight, and the cockpit door was left open.
- Incident raises concerns over flight safety while United Airlines is under scrutiny.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has opened an investigation after an unauthorized person, or persons, entered the cockpit during a United Airlines flight. A member of the Colorado Rockies coaching staff was filmed sitting in the captain’s seat while the aircraft was airborne, a clear violation of safety regulations.
United baseball charter flight cockpit incident
As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the incident happened on April 10th onboard a Boeing 757 charter flight carrying Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Colorado Rockies from Denver (DEN) to Toronto (YYZ). The side’s hitting coach, Hensley Meulens, posted a now-deleted video to his Instagram account that showed him in the captain’s chair mid-flight, with the first officer sitting next to him, along with an unseen female (likely one of the flight attendants) holding the camera.
During the video, the cockpit door remains open, and another unauthorized individual walks in. The woman holding the camera asks Meulens, “What altitude are we at?” to which he responds, “35,000 feet” before pointing to the altimeter. Meulens then says, “We’re going to start descending soon,” before pretending to handle the yoke.
Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock
Meulens Instagram post appears to have contained more videos and/or images that weren’t screen-captured. While the first video clearly happens during the nighttime, a brief moment from a second clip shows daylight through the cockpit glass, suggesting the cockpit was left open for an extended period of time, rather than just a brief visit.
United responds
United Airlines has removed the pilots from duty while it investigates, while the FAA is conducting its own investigation into the rule violation.
A United spokesperson commented,
“We’re deeply disturbed by what we see in that video, which appears to show an unauthorized person in the flight deck at cruising altitude while the autopilot was engaged. As a clear violation of our safety and operational policies, we’ve reported the incident to the FAA and have withheld the pilots from service while we conduct an investigation.”
The carrier has been involved in multiple incidents recently, so much so that the FAA has subjected it to enhanced scrutiny. This includes the tire incident at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) when a tire dropped off a United 777 during take-off, and the 737 MAX runway excursion in Houston.
Related
United Airlines To Face Increased Scrutiny From The FAA After Recent Events
After several incidents, US regulators are looking closely.
Sports charter flights
Many airlines offer special charter flights for sporting teams and even enter official partnerships with specific teams to become their official carrier. These kinds of flights are highly sought-after by crew, usually offering a more fun experience and the chance of added perks, like event tickets or selfies with famous individuals.
In one case, a pair of flight attendants even sued their airline after being derostered from such duties, claiming their race, age and looks were the reason they were pulled.
What do you make of this incident? Let us know in the comment section.
