Virgin plane makes precautionary landing

A Virgin Atlantic flight en route to Chicago from London Heathrow made a precautionary landing at Shannon Airport in southern Ireland today, the airline said.

"The pilot made a precautionary landing at Shannon for a check," an airline spokesman said. "There was no danger to passengers."

The spokesman said reports of a suspected fire in the plane's cockpit were wrong.

"There was no fire in the cockpit," he said, adding that further checks were being made on the aircraft, which was carrying 139 passengers.

A Shannon Airport spokesman said all passengers had disembarked as normal.