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US aviation authorities are investigating after a baseball coach posted a video of himself in a plane's cockpit while airborne.

The video, filmed aboard a United Airlines charter, was originally posted to Instagram by Colorado Rockies hitting coach Hensley Meulens.

Passengers on US flights are generally banned from entering airplane cockpits.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident.

United said it had suspended two pilots while its own inquiry continues.

The incident took place on 10 April, as the Rockies travelled to Canada to play the Toronto Blue Jays.

The video shows Mr Meulens sitting in one of the cockpit chairs and pretending to take the controls. "I'm going to land the plane tonight," he jokes.

Mr Meulens captioned the video: "Had some fun in the cockpit on our flight from Denver to Toronto. Thanks to the captain and the first officer of our United charter that allowed me this great experience." It has since been deleted.

In a statement, United Airlines said: "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 Rockies' manager, Bud Black, told the Denver Post that Mr Meulens had since apologised to the team and to United Airlines, and that the incident would not affect his employment.

"I can't comment really any further because of the investigation of the matter," Mr Black told the paper.

Mr Meulens, originally from the Dutch island of Curacao in the Caribbean, had a playing career in the US, Japan, Korea and Mexico and has been on the coaching staff of several Major League Baseball teams.

The ����ý has contacted Mr Meulens and the Rockies for comment.