Angry Pilots
Yes Pace, do date the angry exchange is an important revelation.
Of more significance is the pilot`s state of mind before then. Of the Staines Trident crash a witness said that Captain Key`s outburst in the crew room, prior to the flight, was the worst violent argument he had ever heard. This therefore brings into question whether his fuse was well and truly lit sometime before the flight.
In the orderly and well organised world of professional GA ops with established SOP`s and multi crew disciplines the likelihood of recurrences such as the Staines disaster is less likely. For those operating outside such strictures the likelihood of compromised safety issues must be greater.
Moreover the quality of sang froid is a must in the character of a professional pilot. Reflecting on your career can you recall any who made it any distance in the profession without sooner or later coming to some sort of grief.
I would have thought fractious and gasket blowing types are not perhaps as well suited to the task as those who can always display restraint and composure under pressure and stress. Experienced pilots know and understand this and in turn they choose their successors. Owners have deep pockets to choose their shiny biz-jets and the pretty uniforms of their crew(s), but do they have the knowledge and experience to choose who will fly them.