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Giant Pothole Closes Runway at LaGuardia Airport

Landing plane suspected to have blown off concrete from runway.

A pothole measuring 8 feet by 2 feet appeared on Runway 13-31 at LaGuardia Airport yesterday, leaving just one open runway and bottlenecking departing and arriving flights for over an hour.

Around 3 p.m., a pilot on a departing flight from LGA reported the damage. On air traffic control recordings, the pilot is heard telling the controller, “There’s a bunch of debris on the runway, just off the right side of the aircraft … It looks like a piece of concrete off the number three on the runway, the number completely blown off.”

Port Authority is investigating the cause of the pothole, but it’s suspected that a landing plane blew off a chunk of concrete.

Frustrated passengers took to social media while dozens of airplanes lined up for delayed departures and arriving flights circled above.

“Been waiting for an hour in plane … the pilot just informed us we are #49 for takeoff!” passenger Michelle Smith posted on Facebook.

Another passenger, Jefferson Gaddis, tweeted, “Pothole found on the #LGA runway. Flight delays, 30th in line to takeoff! @NYGovCuomo please help this city’s potentially great airport!”

Airport staff re-paved Runway 13-31, which reopened around 8:30 p.m.

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