AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

*An AMERICAN AIRLINES MD82 had to make an emergency landing at Fort Myers, Florida, yesterday. Flight 2460 was on Domestic Service from Chicago OHare to Fort Myers, with 95 passengers and crew onboard, when the incident took place. While on approach at 5000 feet, the crew declared an emergency and asked for an accelerated landing. Passengers had reported to the crew that there was a small fire on the right hand wing, about 3 feet from the fuselage. The MD82 landed shortly thereafter and was met by Emergency Services. No flames, smoke, or evidence of fire was found by Emergency Services. The aircraft was allowed to taxi to the gate to unload passengers, and then was removed from service for a full investigation. Media reports out of Fort Myers say that the emergency landing was due to a technical fault, and make no mention of a fire.

*A LUFTHANSA A319 had to divert while enroute yesterday. Flight 3435 was on International Service from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Munich, Germany, with 44 passengers and crew onboard, when the incident took place. According to media reports, the A319 was overhead Hungary when the cockpit windshield cracked. The aircraft was then diverted to Budapest, Hungary, where it landed without incident.

*An IBERIA A340 had to make an emergency return to Madrid, Spain, yesteday, due to fuel problems. Flight 6831, on International Service to Santiago, Chile, requested return due to unspecified problems with 1 fuel tank. The A340 landed back in Madrid without incident, about 2 hours after its initial departure. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection and repair.

*A JET AIRWAYS Boeing 777 had to divert while enroute yesterday due to mechanical problems. Flight 117 was on International Service from London Heathrow to Mumbai, India, when the crew reported a technical problem with the fuel system. The 777 was diverted to Tehran, Iran, where it landed without incident. The aircraft was repaired while on the ground in Tehran, and resumed its flight to Mumbai later in the day.

*A TUNISAIR A300 had to divert while enroute yesterday. Flight 714 was on International Service from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Tunis, Tunisia, with 265 passengers and crew onboard, when the crew requested diversion due to the cockpit window cracking. The crew noted that the crack was affecting cabin pressure. The A330 was diverted to Cairo, Egypt, where it landed without incident.