Airline steward quits in style, exiting by emergency chute

FOR nearly three decades, he waited hand and foot on thousands of passengers, biting his tongue when subjected to the inevitable grievances about in-flight meals or a lack of leg room.

• Fasten your seatbelts...Stephen Slater is arrested after dramatically leaving his plane, and job, clutching a beer

But after fielding one complaint too many, a disgruntled flight attendant has checked out of his career in style.

Steven Slater has become an internet folk hero after rashly announcing his retirement on an aircraft's intercom, before making good his escape via an emergency chute.

The 38-year-old, described by friends as a "responsible" individual, made his spectacular exit after becoming incensed with a passenger as his flight approached New York.

Adamant that no one was allowed to retrieve baggage until the plane had come to a half, Slater became embroiled in an argument with the male passenger.

In the midst of the row, the bag fell from the overhead locker, striking Slater on the head. According to startled passengers, he asked the man to apologise, only to be sworn at.

Marching to the front of plane, Slater activated the in-flight intercom to deliver his right of reply. "To the passenger who called me a ************," he declared, "**** you. I've been in this business 28 years, and that's it. I'm done."

After the plane touched down, the JetBlue attendant paused to tear off his airline tie and liberate a bottle of beer from the galley. With that, he deployed the aircraft's emergency slide, escaping onto the tarmac.

Following the dramatic nature of his resignation on Monday, Slater's actions have attracted a flurry of discussion on Facebook and Twitter, with some calling him an "American hero."

His tale of cabin pressure, however, has also attracted the attention of law enforcement officials.

In the wake of his getaway from Flight 1052 at JFK International Airport, Slater ran to the staff car park and drove off. However, he was later arrested at his home in Queens, New York, and charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and trespassing.

JetBlue said it was working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to investigate the episode. In a statement, the company said: "At no time was the security or safety of our customers or crew members at risk."

According to his profiles on social media websites, Slater has visited over a fifth of the world's countries through his job.

Neighbors in the Californian suburb where Slater grew up said he had recently been caring for his dying mother, a retired flight attendant, and had done the same for his father, a pilot.

"It could be the pressure of his mother's illness, because that's not the type of behavior or conduct that Steve exhibits," said Ron Franz. "He's a very conscientious, responsible individual."

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