Last week, the federation's aviation authority launched an investigation after a video was posted and later deleted showing the Colorado Rockies punching coach Hensley Meulens on the flight deck during a charter flight from Denver to Toronto. did.
United Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating how a passenger gained access to the 757's cockpit at cruising altitude, in violation of company policy and FAA regulations. pic.twitter.com/E2yQwSbEy8
— Aviation News & Video Breaking (@aviationbrk) April 19, 2024
The video, which has since been deleted, was shared by Mullens on Instagram and shows him sitting in one of the cockpits and joking about the plane landing.
In a statement to 9NEWS, United Airlines said it was “deeply disturbed by what we saw in that video” and called it “a clear violation of our safety and operating policies.”
The airline said the plane was at cruising altitude and the autopilot was engaged while Mullens was in the cockpit. The pilots' flight has been “withheld” as United Airlines conducts an investigation.
The Rockies began a six-game road trip after a six-game homestand before flying to Toronto last week.
Mullens, 56, was hired by the Rockies as hitting coach in November 2022. He coached the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and San Francisco Giants. Before becoming a coach, he played for two MLB teams from 1989 to 2000, as well as in Japan and South Korea.
