Looks like the national press picked the up from the local Western Morning News in Exeter. It appears the first officer has history hence
Capt Bird said Mr Akers then called him a “control freak”, to which he replied: “Now I can see why you have had issues with other captains.”
Their story is below
A captain was sacked along with a first officer after calling him his “bitch” before a flight in which they had a furious row.
Captain Stephen Bird used the term to describe his senior First Officer Stephen Akers ahead of the Flybe Embraer jet flight from Exeter to Malaga in Spain.
They fell out again before landing in Malaga, when Captain Bird ignored Mr Akers’ request to avoid the “dark clouds”, sparking a furious row. Mr Akers called Capt Bird a “control freak” and told him to “f*** off” before refusing to shake his hand after they returned to Exeter and landed the aircraft. The pair yesterday represented themselves in an unfair dismissal case against Exeter-based Flybe.
In his statement Capt Bird, from Northam, North Devon, said banter was commonplace between work colleagues.
When Mr Akers asked if he had completed the flight log giving details of fuel, weather and the destination, Capt Bird said he hadn’t done the paperwork “cos you’re my bitch”.
Capt Bird said his comment was made in a “clearly jovial manner” with no-one else present and was said in “jest”.
He said he did not realise that former RAF squadron leader Mr Akers had “found it offensive” and later offered him his sincere apologies.
But during the flight to Malaga there was turbulence over the Bay of Biscay and the seatbelts warning sign was switched on.
During the descent to the Spanish airport, Mr Akers urged Capt Bird to avoid a weather formation, but he said he was reluctant to take his advice because as an experienced captain he had to take into account the implications as they were already running 25 minutes late on the flight in May last year.
He claimed Mr Akers was becoming very “agitated” and insistent. They clipped the edge of the bad weather and Capt Bird conceded that it was “worse than I expected”.
Flybe found there had been a “massive breakdown” between the pilots that could have put passenger safety at risk.
Capt Bird said Mr Akers then called him a “control freak”, to which he replied: “Now I can see why you have had issues with other captains.”
The captain then said if Mr Akers continued to argue with him he would have no choice but to report the incident to the company, to which Mr Akers replied “F*** off”, the Exeter tribunal panel was told. The row lasted several minutes but the plane and passengers landed safely.
The return flight was in “virtual silence”, with Mr Akers reading a newspaper and they landed after a “perfectly safe and uneventful” trip. Once on the ground, Capt Bird said he always shakes the hand of his First Officer, but Mr Akers told him: “You owe me a f***ing apology.”
The skipper said: “I was shocked by his reaction.”
Both pilots phoned their manager, Captain Stan Wood, about the incident and he told them to file an Air Safety Report. They were both later sacked.
Mr Akers said he was concerned about the weather on the flight because two weeks earlier his plane had been struck by lightning and severe turbulence. He said Captain Bird had told him: “I am the Captain, just fly the plane.”
Capt Bird has 1,100 hours flying time and Mr Akers 2,000 hours, the tribunal was told. Both had clean disciplinary records.
The tribunal continues.