Nation IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Eastern to Admit It Falsified Repair Data

Eastern Airlines agreed in New York to plead guilty to seven charges of falsifying maintenance records and to pay a fine of $3.5 million, an airline spokeswoman said. In a plea bargain, 53 other charges will be dropped, she said. Eastern had been charged with altering records of some aircraft to show that work had been done when it had not and with conspiracy to block a federal investigation. Because the bankrupt airline is being liquidated, the government may never receive any of the fine. , which is an unsecured claim. The agreement, which specifies that no one will be prosecuted, is subject to court approval.