A China Southern Airlines flight was delayed for over four hours after a passenger threw coins into the engine. Flight CZ 8805, operated on an Airbus A350-900, from Sanya (SYX) to Beijing-Daxing (PKX) was scheduled to depart at 10:00 a.m. and arrive at 1:40 p.m. local time. However, the flight departed at 2:16 p.m. and arrived at 5:35 p.m. local time.

The Incident

The passenger, whose identity has not been revealed yet, allegedly claimed they threw "three to five" coins after being questioned by a flight attendant. After the video was taken to record the interaction, police officers took the alleged passenger away. China Southern Airlines' customer service later told state media that "the aircraft maintenance staff conducted a comprehensive safety inspection and determined there were no safety issues before takeoff." 

On Weibo, a Chinese social media website similar to Twitter, China Southern Airlines issued a stern warning against bad behaviors such as throwing coins at a plane for luck. While the post did not cite this incident directly, it claimed that "throwing coins at the plane pose[s] a threat to aviation safety and will result in different levels of punishment." 

Historical Incidents

This was not the first time an incident like this had happened in China. Most passengers usually throw coins into the plane engine for superstitions and religious reasons. Buddhism is a dominant religion in China. Buddhists often throw or place coins as a symbolic offering to create good Karma or as a sign of appreciation, leading to some passengers throwing coins into plane engines to wish for good luck and safety.

In June 2017, China Southern Flight CZ380 from Shanghai-Pudong (PVG) to Guangzhou (CAN) was delayed because an 80-year-old woman with the surname Qiu was throwing coins into the plane's engine to ensure good luck and safety as she crossed the tarmac to board. Of the nine coins she threw, one landed in the engine, forcing all 150 passengers to evacuate the aircraft. After authorities were alerted, Qiu was questioned by police but did not face charges. The flight was delayed for over five hours, and the incident caused uproar on social media. One user commented, "Grandma, this is not a wish fountain with turtles."

Another similar incident happened in February 2019 when a 28-year-old man named Mr. Lu, flying for the first time, threw coins into a Lucky Airplane engine. The flight from Anqing (AGQ) was canceled after staff found coins near the engine. Lu was detained for 10 days by police officers and was charged $17,200 for disturbing public order. The incident cost the airline over $17,600, according to the court case. In court, Lu argued that Lucky Air should have warned passengers not to throw coins at planes. However, as throwing coins at planes for superstitious reasons is a crime, Lucky Air did not need to issue a warning.