NEW YORK — The JetBlue flight attendant who activated the emergency chute on an airplane at New York City’s Kennedy Airport says he "needed to go" in a way he "knew was final."

Steven Slater told CBS’ "The Early Show" on Wednesday that he knew if he went out the front door he "was probably coming right back." Slater said he felt a "slow burn" while coping with a crowd of rushed passengers on the Aug. 9 flight from Pittsburgh.

On NBC’s "Today," Slater said he’d been out the night before and was sleep-deprived. But he also told ABC’s "Good Morning America" that he was never impaired.

Slater avoided jail under a plea bargain that requires him to undergo counseling and substance-abuse treatment. He must pay $10,000 in restitution to JetBlue Airways Corp.