Former first officer says controversial cockpit practices were treated as routine on sports charter flights
CHICAGO — A former United Airlines first officer who was terminated following a viral cockpit video involving a Colorado Rockies charter flight is now publicly describing the incident, arguing that practices at the center of the controversy had long been normalized during sports charter operations.
The incident occurred during a 2024 United Airlines charter flight from Denver International Airport to Toronto Pearson International Airport carrying members of the Colorado Rockies. The controversy intensified after video surfaced online showing a team coach seated in the captain’s seat while the aircraft was in cruise flight.
The former pilot’s account, which emerged during an ongoing whistleblower hearing examining charter-flight safety procedures, paints a broader picture of cockpit access practices that he claims were widely accepted across sports charter operations.
Cockpit door allegedly remained open throughout flight
According to the first officer, the issues began before departure. After completing preflight checks and returning to the cockpit, he overheard the captain and lead flight attendant discussing plans to leave the cockpit door open during the flight.
The pilot said he questioned the arrangement, but the captain referenced prior charter operations, including a 2019 Denver Broncos flight where players and team personnel allegedly visited the cockpit during the trip.
The captain, according to the account, had nearly 25 years of experience at United Airlines and previously served as a company instructor responsible for teaching procedures from the Flight Operations Manual. The first officer, by contrast, had been with the airline for roughly 15 months and was operating his first sports charter assignment.
He later spoke with the lead flight attendant, who was reportedly part of a dedicated Rockies charter crew. She allegedly confirmed that allowing players and staff into the cockpit for greetings and photos was standard practice during charter operations.
Viral video captured coach in captain’s seat
Roughly 35 minutes after takeoff, a Rockies coach entered the cockpit accompanied by the same flight attendant who later recorded the viral video, according to the first officer’s statement.
The coach initially sat in the jumpseat behind the first officer while discussing baseball and aviation topics. The situation escalated after the captain reportedly left the cockpit to use the restroom without first calling another crew member to comply with the airline’s two-person cockpit policy.
Coach allegedly moved into pilot seat during turbulence communication
The first officer said he became distracted while responding to an air traffic control communication regarding turbulence and programming a new altitude into the aircraft systems. During that time, the coach moved from the jumpseat into the captain’s seat while a flight attendant recorded video.
The former pilot acknowledged he failed to immediately intervene.
“According to OMAAT, the first officer admitted he initially froze and acknowledged his biggest mistake was failing to instruct the coach to return to the jumpseat.”
He also stated that the atmosphere inside the cockpit appeared relaxed among the more senior crew members, causing him to doubt his own instincts about the situation.
Another Rockies staff member later entered the cockpit area briefly and later stated that the captain was already near the flight deck door at the time, contradicting claims that the cockpit had been secured during her absence.
FAA scrutiny expands beyond single incident
The controversy has since evolved into a broader examination of cockpit access procedures during professional sports charters. An email from the head of United’s pilot union Central Air Safety Committee reportedly described the open-cockpit practice as a “systemic problem” within charter operations.
Under FAA Part 121 regulations, unauthorized individuals are prohibited from occupying flight deck seats during commercial passenger operations. Charter flights operated by major airlines remain subject to the same federal rules.
Industry observers say the incident is particularly notable because airlines typically maintain strict, zero-tolerance standards regarding cockpit security in the post-9/11 environment.
Questions emerge over accountability
The first officer’s account has fueled debate over whether United and federal regulators are unfairly placing blame on individual crew members for practices that may have existed more broadly across charter operations.
Critics argue that a relatively junior first officer may have faced significant pressure to conform after both a veteran training captain and experienced charter flight attendant appeared to endorse the arrangement.
At the same time, aviation experts note that the captain’s alleged failure to maintain the required two-person cockpit rule remains a separate and potentially serious procedural violation.
The original video circulated widely on social media platform X, where users questioned how many airline and FAA regulations may have been violated during the flight.
