Unbelievable story....
Two experienced airline pilots were sacked after having a furious row on board a plane when they encountered turbulence.
The incident occurred when Captain Stephen Bird and First Officer Stephen Akers, both aged in their fifties, were flying from Exeter, southwest England, to the Spanish city of Malaga, last May, an employment tribunal heard yesterday.
Just before the plane took off, Bird told his co-pilot that he had not completed pre-flight paperwork "cos you're my bitch," The (London) Times reported.
The atmosphere took a turn for the worse when the aircraft later encountered turbulence. Akers asked Bird to fly around some dark clouds for safety reasons - advice which the captain ignored.
In the argument that followed, Akers allegedly said Bird was a "control freak" and told him to "f*ck off."
According to senior pilot Stan Wood, who investigated the incident, the "massive breakdown" between the two men - who had been "yelling at each other" in the cockpit - had posed a "potential risk to [the] safety" of the crew and passengers.
The return flight from Malaga was reportedly made in virtual silence, with Akers reading a newspaper.
Both men filed complaints against the other with their employer budget airline Flybe and were sacked following an investigation.
They are appealing their dismissal. The tribunal hearing continues.
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