Aviation News International – The US Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident where a passenger was apparently granted unauthorized access to the cockpit of a United Airlines Holdings Inc. charter flight traveling from Denver to Toronto.
The moment, involving a man accompanying the Colorado Rockies baseball team on April 10, was caught on video that was posted online. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, passengers have been strictly prohibited from entering the cockpit during flight.
The case raises fresh concerns about operations at United, weeks after aviation regulators began a widespread safety review that was triggered by a series of mishaps at the carrier. The FAA has taken steps during the evaluation to temper United’s near-term growth by not allowing new planes or new cities to be added to its operating certificate.
While scrutiny across the US industry has been heightened since a fuselage panel broke off an Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight on Jan. 5, the mishaps at United included a wheel falling off a plane shortly after takeoff, an aircraft that veered off a Houston runway and an emergency landing after an engine began spewing flames.
The US aviation regulator said separately that federal rules “restrict flight deck access to specific individuals,” adding that it doesn’t comment on the details of open investigations.
Source: https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2024/04/19/united-airlines-deeply-disturbed-by-passenger-in-cockpit-traveling-with-colorado-rockies/
