Delta Pilot Warned of Possible Rocket Launcher Near LaGuardia

A Delta Air Lines flight headed for New York’s LaGuardia Airport was moments from landing when the pilot received a chilling warning from air traffic control: use “extreme caution” because of a possible rocket launcher threat near the airport.

The alarming midair scare happened as Delta Flight 2604, traveling from Detroit to New York with more than 100 people on board, was making its final approach to LaGuardia. What should have been a routine landing suddenly turned tense when controllers issued what is known as a MANPAD alert at 8:27 p.m.

“MANPAD alert issued at LaGuardia Airport at 0027. Use extreme caution,” an air traffic controller said in audio obtained by CBS News.

The pilot appeared caught off guard by the frightening warning and asked controllers to explain what a MANPAD was.

The response was enough to make any passenger’s stomach drop.

The tower told the pilot it stood for “a manned portable air defense system,” then clarified the danger in plain English.

“Basically, it was a report of a rocket launcher,” the controller said.

For a brief moment, the crew of the Delta flight was operating under the possibility that someone near one of America’s busiest airports had a portable weapon capable of targeting an aircraft. But just as quickly as the alert was issued, authorities determined the threat was not credible.

Within about a minute, controllers called off the warning after Port Authority police investigated the report and concluded it was a hoax.

“No need to respond, Delta 2604,” the controller told the pilot. “Port Authority police reported it was a non-credible threat.”

The Boeing 737 landed safely at LaGuardia without incident, and no passengers were harmed.

Still, the bizarre episode exposed just how quickly a false call can trigger a serious aviation security response, especially near a major airport serving millions of travelers each year.

The scare was brief, but for the Delta crew preparing to land in New York, the warning was anything but routine.