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<b>UPDATE</b>: Jet Blue Flight Attendant Curses, Quits, Makes Emergency Chute Exit
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 9, 2010
Modified Aug 10, 2010
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photo from his MySpace
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 9, 2010
Modified Aug 10, 2010
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[UPDATE BELOW, which has details of the flight attendant's apparent meltdown, "resignation," and special exit]
This afternoon we received word that a Jet Blue flight attendant activated "an emergency chute" on a flight that just landed at JFK Airport. According to the scanner, "he fled on foot into the terminal of the building" and the FBI was requested to the scene.
We contacted Jet Blue for details about the incident, and they told us that "Flight 1052, arriving at JFK from Pittsburgh International Airport shortly after 12:00 p.m., experienced an evacuation slide deployment after parking at the gate. There were no injuries and all customers deplaned the aircraft safely through the jetway. At this time, we are working with the FAA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to investigate the incident. At no time was the security or safety of our Customers or Crewmembers at risk."
The airline will be updating us as the situation becomes more clear and more details arise. No word yet on if the employee who activated the emergency evacuation slide has been found.
UPDATE:The Daily News has some more details about what went on before the slide was activated. They report that the flight attendant dropped the F bomb right before running from the aircraft. Steven Slater declared over the intercom, "To the passenger who called me a motherfucker, fuck you. I've been in the business 28 years. I've had it. That's it."
He managed to escape with his bag and take the AirTrain to the parking garage, but then was busted by the Port Authority police, who arrested him at his home in Queens. To be fair, the passenger he was sparring with had been trying to get his bag from the overhead compartment before the plane was stopped—and that is pretty annoying. As if all of this didn't already make for the best job-quitting story ever—to take the edge off, Our Hero even had the forethought to grab two beers before exiting!
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airport
emergency slide
flight attendant
jet blue
JFK
Steven Slater
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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