Flight school executive claims owner assaulted him

The former vice-president of a Cork-based flight school has claimed he quit his position at the firm because he was assaulted by the owner and was subjected to verbal abuse and intimidation.

Allen Field yesterday told the Employments Appeal Tribunal that he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and suffered panic attacks and anxiety after his experience of working with Mark Casey, president and CEO of Atlantic Flight Training Limited.

Mr Field, who worked at the company from January 2008 until November 2014, described Mr Casey as ‘difficult’ to work with, and that their professional relationship suffered after an alleged assault that took place in Mr Field’s office in January 2014.

Mr Field relayed to the tribunal how he progressed from deputy chief flight instructor at the company to director of operations and vice-president.

He outlined a number of instances where he alleged Mr Casey acted aggressively towards him or other employees, but said the central issue was the alleged assault in January 2014.

He said it was sparked by a disagreement over the provision of transport for students learning to fly for Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s principal commercial airline.

Mr Field said he told Mr Casey that he was concerned that Air Astana would be unhappy to learn that Mr Casey had replaced the bus Mr Field had arranged for the students with a taxi.

He said Mr Casey “started screaming” at him, banged his fist repeatedly on Mr Field’s glass desk and swore at him.

He said Mr Casey approached him, placed his hands on the arms of his office chair, and brought his head into contact with his own.

He claimed Mr Casey said “I’ll effing kill you” before stepping back and hurling his mobile phone at him. Mr Field said he raised his hands to protect his face and that the phone hit him on his collarbone.

“I was in shock. To be honest, I thought he’d kill me. I thought I’d get a hiding, a beating for sure,” he said.

Mr Field said that he left the office with chief flying instructor Captain Angelo Cunningham, who brought him to the nearby hotel for a coffee.

He said he was “embarrassed” as he started crying because of the incident.

He went to see a doctor who encouraged him to contact gardaí. Mr Field said he reported the incident but did not want Mr Casey arrested as he feared for his livelihood if anything were to happen to his employer.

“I wanted there to be a record of it, I was afraid something would happen to me,” he said.

Mr Field said attempts to mediate the situation were not successful because Mr Casey would not admit any assault took place.

He said that a combination of the workload demanded of him, and the depression and anxiety he suffered after the alleged assault, led to him taking sick leave in September 2014 before leaving the company on doctor’s advice the following November.

Terrence J O’Sullivan, solicitor for Mr Casey, said his client maintains that Capt Cunningham mediated a shaking of hands between the pair, and that witnesses will say their relationship improved after the disagreement.

The hearing was adjourned until September, and is expected to go on for two more days.