Elderly Chinese woman avoids jail after tossing coins at plane for 'good luck'

The flight to Guangzhou was held up after passengers saw the woman throwing coins at the engine. PHOTOS: SINA WEIBO

SHANGHAI (AFP) - 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 on Wednesday (June 28).

The superstitious 80-year-old woman delayed the China Southern Airlines flight on Tuesday for nearly six hours after she tossed nine coins at the engine from the tarmac while boarding, which resulted in one coin nestling inside the engine.

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

She was taken away by the police after a fellow passenger reported the bizarre incident.

However, the People's Daily newspaper, citing police, said that while she had broken the law and would normally serve five days behind bars, she was exempted because she is over 70 years old.

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