Video Shows MLB Coach in Pilot's Seat on Team Plane, Violating FAA Rules

The Federal Aviation Administration has reportedly launched an investigation in response to a video showing a Colorado Rockies coach sitting in the pilot's seat of a recent team flight.

Hensley Meulens, the Rockies' hitting coach, recently posted a video to his Instagram account documenting his adventure in the cockpit during a chartered United flight carrying the team from Denver to Toronto.

"Had some fun in the cockpit on our flight from Denver to Toronto," the caption on Meulens' since-deleted Instagram post reads. "Thanks to the captain and the first officer of our United charter that allowed me this great experience."

Federal Aviation Regulations prohibit passengers from occupying a cockpit seat on most flights.

"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 Airlines said in a statement. "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."

Meulens, 56, has 21 years of coaching experience. He is in his second season as the Rockies' hitting coach, having previously served on the major league staffs of the New York Yankees, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.

According to the Rockies' media guide, Meulens has a longstanding interest in aviation. The Curaçao native was selected as an inaugural astronaut for "Space Expedition Curaçao," a commercial space tourism program the Caribbean nation launched in 2015.

A journeyman player, Meulens appeared in 182 Major League games over parts of seven seasons with the New York Yankees (1989-93), Montreal Expos (1997) and Arizona Diamondbacks (1998), batting .220 (109-for-496) with 67 runs scored, 17 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs, 53 RBI and 42 walks.

In addition to his time in the Majors, Meulens also played for the Chiba Lotte Marines (1994) and Yakult Swallows (1995-96) of the Nippon Professional Baseball Organizations, the SK Wyverns (2000) of the Korean Baseball Organization and Saraperos de Saltillo (2001) and Pericos de Puebla (2002) of the Mexican League.

Meulens also played for Team Netherlands during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, the 2001 Baseball World Cup in Taichung, Taiwan, and the 2002 Intercontinental Cup in Havana, Cuba.

As a coach, he managed Team Netherlands during the 2013, 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classics and served as a coach for the team during the 2006 and 2009 tournaments. He also coached for Team Netherlands at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.