Just a bit short
  small private plane that ran out of fuel and crashed Thursday,
 Sept. 18, while attempting to reach Indianapolis International Air-
 port was shown where it came to rest.  The pilot, who was alone,
 escaped serious injury after the plane clipped power lines near
 Interstate 465 and crashed into an empty field near the end of the
 airport runway. (From the photo, it looked like a Cherokee 160. Jim)
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 New York,  Sept 17 - Boeing Co., the world's leading aircraft
 manufacturer, Wednesday captured most of the top aircraft rankings
 in Airfinance Journal's annual poll.
     The poll in the magazine's September issue ranks new and used
 commercial aircraft based on investor appeal, residual value, po-
 tential, value for the money and operational success.
     Boeing's current 737 jetliner, its new generation 737 and 777
 took eight of the top 10 spots.
                        Investors Agog
     "Boeing airplanes are most attractive to investors for having
 the highest market penetration," said a European operating lessor
 who participated in the poll. "They have the confidence of the air-
 lines and the banking community in Japan and the U.S., who together,
 make up 80 percent of the world's aircraft investment."
     The judges, including 95 bankers involved in financing new air-
 craft and 80 airlines and  companies, said Boeings's 737-300 snag-
 ged the top spot for the second year in a row because of its endur-
 ing appeal across the industry, according to the magazine.
                     Plane Maker is Pleased
     "We are very honored because the results of this poll indicate
 to us that listening to the  market and developing a family of air-
 planes that provides our customers with the technology, comfort and
 operating efficiency they want is the ticket to success in this
 business," Ron Woodard, president of Boeing Commercial Airplane
 Group said in a statement.
      Boeing's next generation 737-700, was ranked second.
 ------------------------------------------------------------------
       New Deal with Airbus Forged - America West Buys Planes
     Phoenix, Sept. 16 - America West is purchasing 34 airplanes,
 worth $1.4 billion, as it expands, the company says.
      "This order represents a major milestone for America West and
 replaces the agreements made prior to and during the airline's bank-
 ruptcy with an order providing significantly improved commercial
 terms," W.A. Franke, America West Holdings chairman and chief exe-
 cutive officer, said Monday in a written statement.
                         Making Room to Grow
    He also said the new fleet will give the company more flexibility
 and will allow the airline to grow and replace aircraft.
     The 34 planes, which consist of two models of the Airbus, will
 begin arriving in 1998. Under the agreement reached with Airbus
 Industrie, America West may purchase 12 more aircraft.
     America Wests partnership with Airbus dates back to late 1990,
 when the airline ordered $5 billion worth of airplanes from Airbus
 that included a $220 million rebate.
                        Deal Signals Recovery
     The order called for America West to acquire up to 118 Airbus
 A-320s, but economic problems prevented culmination and led to
 financial reorganization under Bankruptcy Court protection.
     Phoenix-based America West is the nation's ninth largest air-
 line, with more than 90 destinations in North America.
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