FAA, United investigating after video captures passenger in cockpit during flight

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a video went viral on social media showing a passenger inside the cockpit of a United Airlines 757 plane during a flight from Denver to Toronto.

According to United Airlines, on April 10, during a charter flight for Major League Baseball team Colorado Rockies, one of the passengers gained access to the cockpit while the plane was at a cruise altitude, which United says is against the company’s policy and FAA regulations.

A spokesperson for United Airlines told KPRC 2, “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. 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.”

The video, posted on social media, showed a man sitting in one of the two pilot’s seats while a woman, who was also inside the cockpit, recorded.

The FAA said it’s investigating the incident.

“United Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating how a passenger gained access to the cockpit of a 757 at cruise altitude in violation of the company’s policy and FAA regulations. The incident reportedly occurred on April 10 when a United Airlines 757 was operating a Major League Baseball charter flight for the Colorado Rockies from Denver to Toronto.”