Overview
- Air traffic control at LaGuardia issued a MANPAD advisory to Delta flight 2604 while it was on final approach, telling the crew to use extreme caution and watch for a portable air‑defense weapon.
- The pilot asked the controller to explain what a MANPAD was and was told it referred to a man‑portable air‑defense system, described by the controller as a report of a rocket launcher.
- Port Authority police assessed the anonymous tip within about a minute, reported it as non‑credible, and the tower told the flight there was no need to respond.
- Delta flight 2604 landed safely with no disruption to airport operations and there are no public reports of arrests or follow‑up enforcement actions.
- The episode highlights how rare MANPAD reports trigger immediate radio alerts and law enforcement checks, and it was reconstructed from an ATC audio recording obtained by CBS News used in subsequent media coverage.