ANQUING, China – For the second time this year, an elderly passenger grounded an airplane in China by tossing coins into the engine for good luck before the flight, according to an Agence France Presse report.
On Wednesday, authorities detained a 76-year-old woman – who was already flying with Lucky Air – after she apparently threw a several coins into the aircraft for good measure.
The flight was scheduled to take off Wednesday from an airport in the city of Anqing, in Eastern China, but was held overnight after the ground crew reported finding coins scattered on the tarmac next to the plane.
The passengers reportedly left the next morning for Kunming, in southwestern China.
In late June, a similar incident occurred. Police detained an 80-year-old woman after fellow passengers reported that she was throwing coins at the plane during boarding of China Southern Airlines flight CZ380 on the tarmac of Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport.
“The passenger, surnamed Qiu, who has no prior criminal record or mental health issues, claimed she tossed coins as a prayer for a safe flight,” Shanghai Police said in a statement.
It added that officers found nine coins at the scene, including one that fell into the engine of the Airbus A320 aircraft, with others scattered on the ground nearby.
CNN contributed to this report.
