Concorde Arrives at Ontario--5 Hours Late

The supersonic transport Concorde made its maiden commercial flight to California on Sunday, after a 5 1/2-hour mechanical delay forced it to land at Ontario International Airport after dark, disappointing up to 30,000 people who had gathered to watch.

The evening darkness largely obscured the British Airways craft until it pulled up in front of the Wells Aviation terminal, where about 4,000 people had paid $5 each to watch the landing.

The Concorde was scheduled to arrive at Ontario, 38 miles east of Los Angeles, at 2:30 p.m., but an engine fuel injector malfunctioned as the plane flew from London to New York, so it returned to London’s Heathrow Airport, officials said.