Metro

LaGuardia bomb scare a dud; beeping credit card reader blamed

A beeping credit card reader sparked a bomb scare tonight aboard an airline preparing for takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, authorities said.

Passengers aboard Boston-bound US Airways Flight 2138 reported hearing a suspicious ticking sound inside the cabin area, according to an airline spokesman.

The pilot asked the tower to taxi the plane — scheduled to go into the air at 6 p.m. — to a remote area and authorities were dispatched.

“Yeah, we need to leave the runway to investigate a possible bomb,” the pilot told the control tower, according to radio transmissions.

Rescue workers evacuated 99 passengers, transported them to the terminal and then searched the cabin area and cargo hold, said a Port Authority spokeswoman.

The culprit turned out to be the low battery indicator on a portable credit card reader, the spokeswoman added.

The passengers will be re-boarded and the flight is expected to take off shortly.

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