Chinese airline GX Airlines cancelled flight GX8814, which was supposed to fly from Weifan, Shandong Province to Haikou, Hainan. One of the passengers threw a handful of coins into the engine before boarding the plane. According to local beliefs, this ritual itself should bring good luck, but a man named Wang wrapped the money in red paper for added effect: this colour symbolizes life and happiness.
The result was quite the opposite: none of the 147 passengers were happy because the flight was cancelled. The airline employees found the coins, but the plane still went for a full technical check. People were not able to arrive in Haikou until the next day - everyone except Wang, who was arrested.
If the plane took off with foreign objects in the engine, it would lose its performance, which could result in a plane crash. Despite this, the people of China continue to believe in the magic of coins, and from time to time toss them on planes. One such incident occurred in 2019: a 28-year-old Chinese man flew from Anqing to Kunming with his wife and one-year-old child. In the hope of a safe flight, he threw two one-yuan coins into the plane's engine.
162 passengers were late for Kunming for a day. The idiot was arrested and the airline suffered losses of $ 23,000.
