Woman avoids jail after tossing coins at plane

BEIJING: An elderly passenger who threw coins at the engine of a plane at a Shanghai airport for good luck will not face police action, Chinese state media said yesterday.

The 80-year-old threw nine coins at an engine of China Southern Airlines flight CZ380 as she was boarding on the tarmac.

Eight of the coins missed their target but one nestled inside an engine, airport police said, adding that a passenger spotted her and reported it to authorities.

The crew expressed concern over the potential damage a single coin could make if sucked into the mechanism.

“A senior passenger threw coins to the plane’s engine and delayed the flight. The passenger involved has been taken away by police,” China Southern Airlines said in a statement on its Twitter-like Weibo account.

“In order to make sure the flight is safe, China Southern maintenance has conducted a full exam of the plane’s engine.”

Police at Shanghai Pudong International Airport said the woman surnamed Qiu was a devoted Buddhist and believed the coin offering would ensure her safety on the flight to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

The elderly woman was travelling with her husband, daughter and son-in-law, Beijing Youth Daily said.

The People’s Daily newspaper, citing police, said that while she had broken the law and would normally serve five days behind bars, she is exempted because she is aged over 70.

Hundreds of thousands of Weibo users had a field day, with one commenting sarcastically: “Grandma, this is not a wish fountain with turtles.” – The Independent/AFP