David Bass Said He Was On Allergy Medication, Sleep-Deprived

David Bass, a well-known public relations professional who often appears on television as a political analyst, has been charged with interfering with a flight crew on a Continental flight between Houston and Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, which could land him in prison for 20 years.

Bass is officially accused of  “assaulting or intimidating a flight crew member or flight attendant of the aircraft, interferes with the performance of the duties of the member or attendant or lessens the ability of the member or attendant to perform those duties, or attempts or conspires to do such an act.” The flight attendants in first class agreed among themselves that Bass appeared to be impaired, and that he should not be served alcohol on the flight. Court documents indicate that an FBI agent as well as the flight crew say that he appeared drunk, climbed over another passenger to get to the overhead luggage bin, and made "mean faces" at the crew. They say he ignored instructions from the flight crew, and repeatedly entered the aircraft galley. When the plane landed, Bass was questioned at the airport and charged with a federal crime.

The political web site Politico reports that Bass said was returning from what he describes as a business trip to Honduras, that he had not slept for three days, and that he was "out of it" due to the effects of an allergy medication. The FBI affidavit claims Bass assumed an "aggressive posture" during the incident, but Bass said he did not think the encounter was confrontational at all. “The officers were actually very nice. I had been joking a little bit, talking to them,” he told Politico. “It didn’t seem like reality to me.” He said officers declined to give him a blood-alcohol test when he offered.

Bass is currently free on his on recognizance, and is scheduled for a second court date October 27th.

FMI: www.dhs.gov