On a recent flight into New York City, a Delta Air Lines pilot was warned to use ‘extreme caution’ after a report that there was a potential rocket launcher near the terminal. The Delta flight was arriving at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) when the warning was issued; however, the threat was later deemed non-credible.
All passengers and crew onboard were able to land safely, and according to Yahoo, the passengers onboard were not aware of the rocket launcher claims. Pilots are expected to treat all threats as serious; if these are ignored, they could lead to serious consequences and put the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, in danger.
Rocket Launcher Reports Near LaGuardia Airport
On Tuesday, July 21, Delta was operating a Boeing 737-900ER from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) to LaGuardia as DL2604. Onboard were 182 passengers, and as the plane approached the busy New York airport, the plane was cleared to land. A MANPAD alert was issued at this time, with the air traffic controller telling the pilot that a surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile, also known as a MANPAD, had been claimed to be in the area.
The report had been advised by Port Authority Police, and while there had been conflicting reports, the threat had to be taken seriously. Approximately one minute later, the Police advised that the report was non-credible. In the recording posted on ATC.com, it outlined the discussion between the aircraft and air traffic control, and the conversation where the controller had to describe the rocket launcher threat as the pilot was unaware of what a MANPAD was:
“Yeah, that’s a man-portable air-defense system. Yeah, it’s— basically it was a report of a rocket launcher.”
Non-Credible Threat Was Not Advised To Passengers Onboard
Delta confirmed that the plane was able to land safely, and no passengers were aware of the threat. The aircraft did not deviate from its planned flight path. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey received a report from an anonymous caller who had claimed to be in the surrounding grounds of the airport, and held a rocket-propelled grenade and had threatened to shoot down arriving aircraft.
This resulted in an extensive search by authorities of the area, and following this search it was determined that the threat was not credible. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities look to track down the individual who made the threat. For pilots, they must take every threat seriously, as if the threat turns out to be true, it can lead to serious consequences to those onboard and on the ground.
LaGuardia is the third busiest airport in the New York metropolitan area after New York JFK Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The airport is heavily slot constrained, and is the closest to downtown Manhattan. The airport is popular for commuter flights, with the majority of its operations to domestic or a small number of short-haul international destinations.
Shane Hryhorec’s video of the incident has amassed millions of views on social media.
If an aircraft receives any type of threat (whether this be direct to the airline or via air traffic control), they commonly activate emergency protocols, including assessing credibility. Pilots are able to speak with air traffic controllers via secure channels and will set emergency codes on the aircraft transponders.
In serious cases (which did not occur in this instance for Delta for its incoming flight to LaGuardia), flights may divert to the nearest safe or designated airports, and could be escorted by military fighter jets. It is important that cabin crews are discreet to secure the plane without unleashing mass panic among those onboard, unless an emergency evacuation may be necessary.
When there has been a threat onboard the aircraft, passengers may be deplaned immediately, and bomb squads or K9 units could be deployed to search the cabin and cargo areas of the plane. Investigations with law enforcement and cybercrime units can track the origin of communication to determine whether the threats are credible.
In the case of DL2604, the initial threat that a rocket launcher was on or near the grounds of LaGuardia initiated a quick response by authorities, who were quick to determine that the threat was not credible, resulting in no major disturbance to the flight or upset to passengers.
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