REM guitarist cleared of air rage attack

Airline Industry Information, April 5, 2002

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2002 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

REM guitarist Peter Buck has been cleared of an air rage attack during a British Airways flight from Seattle to London in April 2001.

Buck was charged with being drunk on board the aircraft, common assault on an air stewardess and the cabin services director, and damaging British Airways property. He denied the charges.

The prosecution had claimed that Buck attacked cabin staff, splattered them with yoghurt, attempted to leave the aircraft at 35,000 ft, upended a hostess trolley after failing to play a CD on it, swore at the captain and ripped up a "yellow card" warning him to behave or face arrest. However the guitarist claimed that he had suffered a bad reaction after taking a sleeping tablet and drinking up to six small glasses of red wine, reported PA News.

((Comments on this story may be sent to aii.feedback@m2.com))