Superstition in China that tossing coins on airplanes ensures safety
Warning signs at Chinese airports: "Do not throw coins"
In China, an incident occurred where a passenger threw coins into an aircraft engine, causing a delay in takeoff.
According to local media such as Pengpai News on the 30th, the Southern Airlines CZ3121 flight, scheduled to depart from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Beijing Daxing Airport at 10 a.m. the previous day, underwent a safety inspection just before takeoff. This was because a passenger had thrown coins into the aircraft engine. In fact, the airline found two coins near the central part of the plane.
The airline decided to delay the takeoff for flight safety. They also conducted a comprehensive inspection of the aircraft to check for any hidden risks. As a result, the aircraft took off at 1:09 p.m., about three hours later than scheduled, and arrived at its destination at 4:08 p.m.
The passenger who threw the coins is currently reported to be in custody and under investigation by airport security.
This is not the first case of coins being thrown at aircraft engines in China. There is a superstition in China that throwing coins at a plane before takeoff ensures a safe journey. However, such actions are strictly prohibited as they can threaten safety by causing engine damage.
Previously, in 2019, a Chinese man who threw coins into the left engine of an aircraft hoping for a safe trip was fined 140,000 yuan (approximately 25.8 million won).
As the act of throwing coins continued, warning signs were put up to prevent it. At Sanya Phoenix International Airport in Hainan Province, southern China, a warning sign appeared in 2019 stating, "Throwing coins at an aircraft to pray for good luck is an illegal act that harms safety and diminishes fortune."
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