In an apparent “prayer for safety”, an elderly woman has thrown a fistful of coins into a plane engines prior to take-off, delaying the flight for hours.
The nine coins sparked an emergency evacuation of all 150 passengers, who were delayed at the airport for hours.
Local media report police were called to Shanghai Pudong International Airport when fellow passengers alerted authorities to the woman’s unusual behaviour on the boarding staircase, after which she was detained for questioning.
The captain said the metal pieces could have caused serious damage if they’d been sucked into the engine, including engine failure.
Ground staff said the woman, who had limited mobility, appeared to be around 80 and was traveling with her husband, daughter and son-in-law.
The elderly passenger threw nine coins into the plane engine. Source: AsiaWire
After the aircraft was inspected, the flight was given the all-clear for take-off more than five hours after the scheduled departing time.
The incident caused uproar on Chinese social media platform Weibo, with one person commenting: “Grandma, this is not a wish fountain with turtles.’’
The airline later reminded passengers to obey civil aviation laws and avoid behaviour that could jeopardise the safety of its flights.
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