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Flight delayed after woman throws coins into plane's engine for good luck

Flight delays are never a good thing but usually it’s for good reasons like safety or ill pilots.

However, the 150 people on China Southern Airlines flight 380 at Pudong International airport in China were stuck on the ground when a passenger decided to throw COINS into the engine of the plane.

The 80-year-old woman, known only by her surname of Qiu, apparently threw the coins into the left engine of the aircraft for good luck.

Mechanics had to dismantle the engines to retrieve the coins thrown in by Qui (AsiaWire)
Mechanics had to dismantle the engines to retrieve the coins thrown in by Qiu (AsiaWire)
It took five hours for the coins to be removed (AsiaWire)
It took five hours for the coins to be removed (AsiaWire)

Everyone on board were asked to get off again as an entire round of safety inspections were carried out – forcing a delay of five hours.

Mechanics has to dismantle parts of the engine in order to fish out the coins, finding one inside the engine with another eight nearby, totalling around two pence in value.

Investigators said Qiu had no history of mental illness and ruled out vandalism because of her clean criminal record – but added that she was a Buddhist.

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Travellers who witnessed superstitious Qiu’s stunt claimed she threw the coins into the engine in order to “wish for a safe flight”.

China Southern Airlines said in a later statement that Qiu was detained for questioning and that the flight took off after safety checks and landed at its destination after the lengthy delay.

The woman apparently threw the coins into the engine for good luck (AsiaWire)
The woman apparently threw the coins into the engine for good luck (AsiaWire)
Passengers eventually took off after a five hour delay (AsiaWire)
Passengers eventually took off after a five hour delay (AsiaWire)

The carrier said it prohibits any behaviour that might endanger the safety of its flyers, but did not say whether it planned to ban Qiu from flying in the future.

Further investigation is ongoing.

Top pic: AsiaWire