NWA grounds 27 planes to comply with FAA directive

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Northwest Airlines grounded 27 planes
Friday after a company audit showed noncompliance with a directive
related to landing gear.
    Flights on the Boeing 757s were canceled, with about 2,600
passengers affected.
    The Federal Aviation Administration’s directive focused on a
linchpin in the aircrafts’ landing gear. But Northwest says
passengers were never in danger.
    Northwest spokeswoman Tammy Lee Stanoch says the problem was
fixed on the planes Friday evening. By 10:40 p.m., the FAA had
cleared Northwest to begin using the planes again.
    Besides putting up some of the affected passengers in hotel
rooms, Northwest worked with its new parent company, Delta Air
Lines, to find other aircraft to accommodate passengers.