OK, operational question - if it was safe to fly in circles near LAX for a bit, wouldn't it be just as easy to fly in a straight line towards the destination given the number of suitable landing sites en route? Or is the main concern that there might be fire or damage associated with the burst tyre so they want to be in a position where they could just land in a few minutes regardless of weight if they had to?
From an uneducated point of view (talking of myself) I agree with you, but I think back to the concorde accident in paris and unless you know the damage done to the plane I would think the best thing is to stay close to the tarmac, burn of fuel whilst all looks okay and stay within range should the situation suddenly change and require a sudden change of plan.
Tho, I will confess I am not an aviator and my comments should therefore be treated accordingly
