The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and United Airlines are investigating an incident in which an unauthorized person was allegedly sitting in the pilot’s seat during a Colorado Rockies charter flight earlier this month.
A video shared on social media, which has since been deleted, shows a member of the team’s coaching staff sitting in the captain’s seat of a Boeing 757 simulating pushing the plane’s yoke and giving a thumbs-up gesture. The incident occurred on April 10 during a flight from Denver to Toronto.
According to the Wall Street Journal, United released a statement noting it was “deeply disturbed” by the footage. “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.”
United’s policy and FAA regulations strictly prohibit cockpit entry during flight, even on chartered flights. The incident comes as the FAA announced increased scrutiny of United Airlines following a series of safety mishaps in recent weeks.
