Chinese Flight Delayed Due to Coins Thrown into Engine
Chinese state media reports a flight delay of over four hours as a passenger threw coins into the aircraft's engine, causing a major disruption to the scheduled flight in China.
A passenger in China caused a flight delay of over four hours on Wednesday by throwing coins into the engine, as reported by Chinese state media.
China Southern Airlines flight CZ8805 was supposed to leave Sanya for Beijing at 10 a.m. local time on March 6. However, it ended up departing at 2:16 p.m. local time, according to flight-tracking websites Flightradar24 and Flight Aware.
In a video shared by various state media outlets, a flight attendant is shown asking a passenger suspected of tossing coins into the engine how many coins were thrown. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed in the video or by state media, can be heard saying “three to five” coins.
The passenger accused of throwing the coins was subsequently escorted away by airport police, as reported by Chinese Southern Airlines.
The airline found coins during security checks, but did not mention the exact number.
The airline's customer service informed state media that a thorough safety inspection was carried out by the aircraft maintenance staff, and they confirmed that there were no safety concerns before the flight took off.
A confiscated red panda is seen inside luggage at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport after authorities arrested Indian national passengers who tried to smuggle wildlife.
A confiscated red panda is seen inside luggage at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport after authorities arrested Indian national passengers who tried to smuggle wildlife.
Thai Customs Department via Reuters
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‘Prayer for a safe flight’
China Southern Airlines recently posted on their official Chinese social media platform Weibo, reminding passengers about the importance of avoiding "uncivilized behaviors" like throwing coins at the plane. They emphasized that this kind of action can endanger aviation safety and may lead to various consequences. However, the specific incident was not mentioned in the post.
CNN has contacted China Southern Airlines for further information regarding this matter.
In recent years, there have been several incidents in China where people have thrown coins at planes for "good luck."
Last October, a China Southern Airlines flight was delayed in Guangzhou because a passenger was seen throwing coins towards the plane. In 2021, a GX Airlines flight from Weifang to Haikou was canceled after coins wrapped in red paper were found on the ground. And in 2017, an elderly passenger threw coins at a China Southern Airlines plane during boarding at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, believing it would bring a safe flight.
