JetBlue Flight Attendant Curses Passengers, Bolts from Jet

MYFOXNY.COM - A judge in Queens set bail at $2,500 for the JetBlue flight attendant who is accused of cursing out a passenger on an airplane intercom, grabbing beer from the galley and using an emergency slide to hop off, according to police.

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Port Authority police arrested Steven Slater. He is charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and tresspassing  in the bizarre incident that unfolded inside a plane that landed at John F. Kennedy Airport on Monday.

The flight attendant on Flight 1052 from Pittsburgh apparently got into an argument with a passenger who stood up to retireve his overhead baggage before the crew gave the all-clear, a police source told Fox 5's Lisa Evers .

Slater asked the passenger to remain in his seat, but the passenger refused and apparently cursed at Slater, the police source said.

Slater then cursed out that passenger over the public-address system and launched into a profanity-laced tirade, the source said.

A passenger aboard the plane tells the Associated Press that Slated ended the tirade by saying "I've had it."

After passengers got off the plane, which had flown in from Pittsburgh, Slater activated an emergency chute, fled the plane down the chute, went straight to his car, and drove away, the source said.

Port Authority detectives tracked him down to his home in Belle Harbor, Queens. They arrested Slater and charged him with trespass, criminal mischief, and reckless endangerment, police said.

The Port Authority released a statement saying that the "matter is under investigation" and that the airport was "fully operational" Monday afternoon.

In a statement, JetBlue confirmed that a side chute deployed. The airline also said that no one was hurt and that all passengers got off the plane through the jet way.

"At this time, we are working with the FAA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to investigate the incident," the statement said. "At no time was the security or safety of our Customers or Crewmembers at risk."

Facebook pages have been set up in support of Slater.

Slater's attorney, Howard Turman, had asked a judge on Tuesday to release him without bail saying his client's mother has lung cancer.