FY AQUILAE AND THE GAMMA-RAY BURST GB-790331

We have reexamined several classic gamma-ray bursts with relatively sm all error boxes and in this Letter we report on unusual optical phenom ena in the vicinity of FY Aql, a Mira variable found inside the error box of GB 790331. We find no trace of the optical nebulosity seen surr ounding FY Aql in 1986 observations, in either deep archival R-band ph otographic data from 1950 or in deep R-band CCD images taken in 1993. In addition, we have obtained detailed spectroscopy of the FY Aql syst em which reveals the presence of a significant ''blue bump'' in the Mi ra spectrum. Model fitting of our direct CCD images confirms that FY A ql might have an unresolved close companion. Given this unusual optica l signature, we reassess the possible connection with GB 790331.