U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto

The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.

United Airlines chartered the flight and reported the “deeply disturbing” incident to the federal agency, according to a statement obtained by CTV News Toronto on Friday.

The airline pointed to a video of the incident that surfaced on social media and has since been taken down. It appeared to show a member of the baseball team’s coaching staff pretending to fly the plane to Toronto.

“[It] appears to show an unauthorized person in the flight deck at cruise altitude while the autopilot was engaged,” a spokesperson at United said. CTV News has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the video.

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“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 statement goes on to say.

In response, the FAA confirmed it launched an investigation of the event, pointing to federal regulations that restrict flight deck access to specific individuals.

The Rockies were in Toronto for a three-game series with the Blue Jays last weekend.

CTV News reached out to the Colorado Rockies and Major League Baseball for comment but did not immediately receive a response.