The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation after a video has emerged from a Colorado Rockies flight. The Rockies hitting coach, Hensley Meulens, posted a video of himself sitting inside the cockpit during a United Airlines team-chartered flight. While the video itself was harmless, the concern comes from the fact that the plane was in the middle of its flight from Denver to Toronto when Meulens was in the cockpit.
Meulens posted the video earlier this month with a caption that read, “[h]ad some fun in the cockpit on our flight from Denver to Toronto. Thanks to the captain and the first officer of our United charter that allowed me this great experience.”[1] The video, taken by a woman on the plane, shows Meulens joking around talking about how he is going to land the plane.[2] During the video Meulens does not mess with any of the controls in the cockpit or touch anything.[3]
While Meulens didn’t do anything to jeopardize the safety of anyone on the plane, there are strict restrictions on who may or may not access the cockpit of a plane.[4] Specifically, “[f]ederal regulations restrict flight-deck access to specific individuals.”[5] If the pilots are found to have violated any federal regulations or United Airline regulations they could face massive fines and/or suspension or removal of their pilots license.
United Airlines has also launched an investigation into this matter. Additionally, United Airlines believes that based on the video it appears that the plane was engaged in autopilot.[6]Regardless, United Airlines has stated that they are “deeply disturbed” by the video and have “withheld the pilots from service while [they] conduct an investigation.”[7]
While I am sure professional athletes and coaches get to enjoy many amenities that the average person does not, human safety will not be put in jeopardy at the expense of their “royal treatment.”
[1] FAA Probing Rockies Coach’s Mid-Flight Visit To Cockpit – Law360
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
[6] Id.
[7] Id.