Counselling for air rage steward

The flight attendant whose job-quitting meltdown landed him in court pleaded guilty yesterday to attempted criminal mischief and will undergo at least a year of counselling and substance-abuse treatment.

"I'm a grown-up and I must take responsibility for my actions," Steven Slater said.

He quit as his JetBlue flight landed at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York in August. Mr Slater cursed at passengers over the loudspeaker, then slid down the plane's emergency chute with a beer. His unusual departure made him a cult hero to some.