DENVER - Authorities have initiated an investigation after a video surfaced showing the Curaçao-born Hensley Meulens, a former coach for the San Francisco Giants and currently with the Colorado Rockies, inside the cockpit of an inflight charter flight.
Meulens, who now serves as a coach for the Colorado Rockies, can be heard joking in the video, saying, "I’m going to land the plane tonight. So relax."
Reports indicate that the incident occurred during a team charter flight from Denver to Toronto earlier this month.
The video, which gained widespread attention, was posted on social media by Meulens himself, showing him seated in one of the pilot seats during the United Airlines flight on April 10. However, the video has since been deleted.
In the caption accompanying the video, Meulens, nicknamed "Bam Bam," wrote, "Had some fun in the cockpit on our flight from Denver to Toronto. Thanks to the captain and the first officer of our United charter that allowed me this great experience."
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and United Airlines are conducting an investigation into how Meulens gained access to the cockpit, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
United Airlines stated that the cockpit visit was "a clear violation of our safety and operational policies" and reported the matter to the FAA.
"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," said United spokesperson Russell Carlton.
Meulens, who coached for the Giants from 2010 to 2019, has also been part of the coaching staff for the Mets, Yankees, and Rockies. He previously played in MLB for parts of seven seasons, primarily with the Yankees.