The Federation Aviation Administration is launching an investigation after a now-deleted video was posted showing Colorado Rockies coach Hensley punching Meulens in the cockpit during the team’s charter flight from Denver to Toronto last week.
United Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating how a passenger gained access to the cockpit of a 757 at cruising altitude in violation of company policy and FAA regulations. pic.twitter.com/E2yQwSbEy8
– Breaking aviation news and videos (@aviationbrk) April 19, 2024
The now-deleted video was shared by Meulens on Instagram and shows him sitting in one of the pilot’s seats and joking about the plane’s landing.
“We are deeply disturbed by what we see in that video,” United Airlines said in a statement to 9NEWS. What happened was “a clear violation of our safety and operations policies.”
According to the airline, the plane was at cruising altitude and the autopilot was engaged while Meulens was in the cockpit. The pilots have been “restrained” from flying while United investigates.
The Rockies had wrapped a six-game homestand prior to flying to Toronto last week to begin a six-game road trip.
Meulens, 56, was hired by the Rockies as their hitting coach in November 2022. He had previously served as a coach for the New York Yankees, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. Before becoming a coach, he played for two MLB teams, playing in Japan and Korea from 1989 to 2000.
