‘We need some Mission: Impossible music’: Raccoon attempts daring escape across NYC airport ceiling, but he’s no Tom Cruise

As a New Yorker, I know I’m likely to see just about anything happen at LaGuardia Airport, but a wild animal falling from the sky would not necessarily be the first thing on my bingo card.

In classic Mission Impossible fashion, one such critter was seen clinging to wires hanging from the ceiling in a video recently posted on X. After swinging around like Tom Cruise after his daring leap in the third installment of the franchise, the critter hit the ground and continued his secret mission on foot.

According to the Port Authority, the incident occurred at about 8am on Nov. 4 outside LaGuardia’s Terminal A, which serves budget airlines Spirit and Frontier. Once the ‘coon hit the ground, mayhem ensued. X user Ahmad Anonimis captured the melee on video, which he captioned, “Dead ass, just seen a raccoon fall from the ceiling in Laguardia Airport.”

In the video, the raccoon can be seen running around and frightening passengers waiting to board their flight as airport staff attempts to catch it. Screams, shouts, and whistle-blowing can be heard as workers scramble to catch the mischievous airport bandit. At the end of the video, a man in a green jacket is seen carrying a clear plastic trash bin, appearing to make an ill-advised attempt to trap the rogue raccoon.

Anonimis and other passengers’ videos of the incident quickly went viral on social media, and people weren’t surprised by the chaos, which they remarked was typical for Spirit Airlines. One X user summed it up nicely, saying, “This is both the most LaGuardia thing and the most Spirit Airlines thing to happen. Perfect.” Another X user poked fun at the budget airline: “That is kinda of how it feels to be on one of their planes.” Another user connected the incident to the recent presidential election results. “See even the raccoons want to fly out of the country after this election.”

In a statement to WGTC, Spirit Airlines said: “A raccoon was located and released outside after briefly entering Terminal A at New York-LaGuardia Airport (LGA) on Nov. 4. To ensure a positive experience for our LGA Guests, we immediately notified the facilities team and are addressing the matter with a professional wildlife control company.” The Port Authority confirmed in a statement to CNN that there were no injuries from the incident. “Ongoing inspections and follow-up efforts are in place to prevent further incidents,” the statement read.

According to NY-NJ Wildlife Removal, raccoons are common in New York City and often look for shelter in residential or commercial buildings. It warns that if you see a raccoon out during the day, there’s a chance that it’s sick. It recommends staying as far away from the animal as possible, and calling for professional help as soon as you see one.

LaGuardia recently went through an $8 billion renovation that ended in 2023, but unsurprisingly Terminal A, the site of the flying raccoon incident, wasn’t a part of the revamp. Terminal A is the airport’s oldest, serving passengers since it opened in 1940. This isn’t the first time a creature has been spotted at Spirit Airlines facilities, either. Last month, passengers were horrified to see a rat scurrying through the lights of their plane. The unwelcome rodent was captured in a TikTok video, which clearly showed paws on the other side of the aisle light fixture. 

Hopefully, Spirit won’t see any more unticketed passengers on or around its flights in the future, but let’s not count our chickens before they hatch.