FAA investigating safety breaches after Colorado Rockies coach sat in a plane cockpit and joked about landing it during a United Airlines charter flight, reports say

Viral video sparks FAA investigation into video appearing to show a cockpit visit by Hensley Meulens during a United Airlines charter flight.

• A Colorado Rockies coach was filmed in a United Airlines cockpit mid-flight, reports say.
• A video appeared to show Hensley Meulens cracking jokes with others on the flight deck.
• The alleged unauthorized cockpit visit breaches federal safety regulations.

Federal aviation officials have launched an investigation after a viral video appeared to show a Colorado Rockies coach making a cockpit visit during a United Airlines charter flight from Denver to Toronto last week, said reports.

It is against federal safety regulations, made more strict following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, for unauthorized people to be in the cockpit during a flight, said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In the video, the Rockies hitting coach, Hensley Meulens, appears to be sitting in one of the two pilot seats while the plane is flying at cruising altitude. He cracks jokes with other people on the flight deck.

"Flying the plane, here to Toronto," Meulens says as he gestures toward a pilot sitting beside him.

"I'm going to land the plane tonight. So relax," he says. Meulens then reaches toward the flight controls and makes as if to take hold of the steering wheel, saying, "I just press this button — and it goes down."

The video was originally posted to Meulens' social media, though it has since been deleted.

"Had some fun in the cockpit on our flight from Denver to Toronto," the post's caption read, according to The Denver Post. "Thanks to the captain and the first officer of our United charter that allowed me this great experience."

United spokesperson Russell Carlton told various news agencies that United was "deeply disturbed" by the content of the video.

The cockpit visit was "a clear violation of our safety and operational policies" and has been reported to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Carlton said that United Airlines removed the pilots from service during the investigation.

FAA spokesperson Chris Mullooly told several news outlets that they were investigating the incident but provided no further details.

"Federal regulations restrict flight deck access to specific individuals," Mullooly said.

Some airlines do allow cockpit visits but only when the plane is on the ground.

The Rockies' manager, Bud Black, told The Denver Post that Meulens had apologized to the team and United Airlines and that the incident would not affect his employment with the club.

"I can't comment really any further because of the investigation of the matter," Black said.

United Airlines and the FAA are yet to respond to Business Insider's request for comment, sent outside of regular working hours.

The news comes after United suffered a cascade of issues 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 take-off. Three days later, one of the airline's flights from San Francisco to Japan lost a tire during take-off and was forced to make an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport.

A post-flight inspection revealed that United Flight 433 from San Francisco to Oregon on 15 March had lost an external panel. The aircraft was an older model Boeing 737-800. The plane landed safely without any issues: the external panel had been discovered missing only after the fact.