The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Thursday night that it's launching an investigation after a video surfaced on social media showing Colorado Rockies hitting coach Hensley Meulens sitting in the cockpit of a United charter flight the team was on, per Chris Vanderveen.
The since-deleted video, which Meulens posted on his Instagram account, shows the 56-year-old in one of the pilot's seats joking with a pilot and crew members. Meulens does not appear to touch any of the equipment but does make an amusing remark about landing the plane.
“Had some fun in the cockpit on our flight from Denver to Toronto,” Meulens' caption read. “Thanks to the captain and the first officer of our United charter that allowed me this great experience.”
United said in a statement that the actions in the video are “a clear violation of our safety and operational policies.”
“We are deeply disturbed by what we see in that video,” a United spokesperson said.
The airline said that the plane was on autopilot during the video. The pilots have been “withheld” from flying while the investigation takes place.
Much of the reaction on social media is that this is not a big deal, and a federal investigation is an overreaction. The FAA is clearly taking this very seriously though, and some discipline will probably be handed down to the crew members, although it's unclear if the Rockies and/or Meulens can or will be disciplined.
Unwelcome distraction to Rockies' already dreadful season
A federal investigation involving an employee's actions isn’t what a 4-15 baseball team wants on their plate. That's the case for the Rockies though.
Meulens is in his second season as Colorado's hitting coach and 14th season as a coach in the MLB. He was the San Francisco Giants' hitting coach for the entire decade of the 2010s, helping the franchise win three World Series titles.
After stops with both New York teams, Meulens is tasked with improving the Rockies' offense. Colorado ranked 18th in runs scored and 17th in batting average in 2023. Three weeks into the 2024 season, the Rockies rank 20th and ninth in those categories.
The April 10 flight came after the Rockies closed a six-game homestand. They followed that by losing five of six on the road, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Rockies return home for the start of nine straight home games, beginning Friday against the Seattle Mariners. Colorado has not released a statement regarding the matter.
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