Don't quite get this one. According to the article, the mechanical problem, whatever it was, wasn't enough to declare an emergency. Unless they had an inflight engine shutdown or a very large hydraulic failure then I have to question Tulsa as a diversion stop. If they were already NE of Springfield MO as the article states, then a turn back to Tulsa with any kind of hydraulic failure seems questionable. STL is straight ahead and certainly offers gates already set up for wide bodies as well as way more room than TUL. Scratching my dispatch head over this one.
In any case, whether TUL or STL, SW Missouri and NW Arkansas got sprayed with jet-A.
At flight level 330, the captain announced that the flight would be diverted to Tulsa International Airport (TUL) due to a mechanical issue aboard the aircraft. The announcement came when the plane was northeast of Springfield, Missouri. The flight landed safely at 23:20 CT. All passengers and crew were accounted for.
https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-777-diverts-50-minutes-london-flight/
What's the point of an open door policy if inside the open door sits a closed mind?