Top security officials say poor communication contributed to a mass panic that erupted when loud cheers for Usain Bolt somehow led to a false report of gunshots at a New York City airport.

Passengers in three terminals at Kennedy Airport ran for the exits on Aug. 14 after cheering at a terminal bar during the Olympics was mistaken for something sinister. Panic spread when police responded by drawing their weapons.

The report by a multi-agency review team found that the airport lacks a security protocol that would have helped avoid the chaos.

Among the recommendations is for JFK to create a central command center.

(AP)