The Federal Aviation Administration and United Airlines have launched investigations after a video reportedly showed an "unauthorized person" in the flight deck during a Colorado Rockies flight. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the incident.
The FAA and United Airlines did not confirm details of the incident. However, a video posted to social media appears to show the team's hitting coach sitting in the cockpit during the flight.
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In a statement, United Airlines said it is aware of a video "which appears to show an unauthorized person in the flight deck at cruise altitude while the autopilot was engaged."
"We’re deeply disturbed by what we see in that video, which appears to show an unauthorized person in the flight deck at cruise altitude while the autopilot was engaged," United said. "As a clear violation of our safety and operational policies, we’ve reported the incident to the FAA and have withheld the pilots from service while we conduct an investigation."
In a statement, the FAA said it is investigating the event and "does not comment on the details of open investigations." Flight deck access is restricted to specific individuals under federal regulations. Scripps News Denver reached out to the Rockies for comment but has not heard back.
This story was originally published by Sydney Isenberg at Scripps News Denver.
