On March 6, a China Southern Airlines flight from Sanya to Beijing resulted in an troublesome delay for the passengers. The flight, which was supposed to take off at 10 am, was delayed for more than four hours because of an odd event involving a passenger who was tossing coins into the aircraft engine.
According to Chinese state media, the reason for the delay was revealed, after a lengthy wait. Media sites released footage of a flight attendant questioning a passenger who they thought might have thrown the money. The unidentified passenger acknowledged tossing three to five coins into the engine, most likely for good fortune.
The plane did not take off until 2:16 pm local time, following a comprehensive safety check by maintenance personnel. The superstitious act caused significant inconvenience. The airline emphasized on the risks associated with throwing things at airplanes, warning that doing so will result in penalty and constitute a major threat to aviation safety.
Another instance involving a flight cancellation in China in 2021 occurred because a passenger thought it would bring good luck to toss coins into the plane’s engine. The flight was supposed to carry 148 passengers from Weifang to Haikou.
