Hensley Meulens, the hitting coach of the Colorado Rockies, was recently seen in a video that has since been deleted, where he was sitting in one of the pilots’ seats during a team charter flight from Denver to Toronto. This incident has prompted an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after the footage surfaced. Both United Airlines and the FAA are currently investigating how Meulens gained access to the cockpit in violation of company policy and FAA regulations.
In the video, which Meulens shared on Instagram, he was shown sitting in the pilot’s seat and joking about landing the plane. United Airlines stated that they were deeply disturbed by the footage and considered it a clear violation of safety and operational policies. The airline confirmed that at cruising altitude with autopilot engaged, Meulens was in the cockpit. The pilots have been grounded pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Rockies had just completed a homestand before embarking on a road trip to Toronto when this incident occurred. Meulens, 56, joined the Rockies as their hitting coach in November 2022 after coaching stints with several other Major League Baseball teams including New York Yankees, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants. Before becoming a coach, Meulens played for two MLB teams and also had experience playing in Japan and Korea between 1989-2000.
