A PASSENGER in China was arrested after he was caught throwing three coins at a plane for good luck.
The man, surnamed Xia, was caught on CCTV dropping the change before entering the cabin with his wife and four-month-old daughter.
A security guard spotted the dad throwing the coins, according to Chinese media Sina, and alerted the police.
Xia said he had dropped the coins for luck, prompting cabin crew and ground staff to do a search around the aircraft.
The coins had slipped through a small gap between the steps and landed near the plane engine, where it was eventually found by staff.
The superstitious dad, who was on his way to Urumqi, was detained for ten days in Wuhan for endangering the safety of passengers.
The Hainan Airlines flight was also delayed for 40 minutes while staff inspected the plane.
According to reports, the passenger said it was the first time that his daughter was flying on a plane.
Xia claimed his mother-in-law told him to throw the coins at the aircraft to ensure good luck and a safe journey.
A professor at the Civil Aviation University of China previously told China Daily the danger it posed to the rest of the passengers.
He said: “The engine could tremble, lose speed and even stop in mid-air if a coin were sucked into its core.
“That would put all the passengers on board at great risk.”
It isn’t the first time a passenger has thrown coins at the plane engine.
In February, a Lucky Air passenger was sued after throwing pennies at the plane, leading to the cancellation of the flight.
Last year, an 80-year-old woman also threw money at the flight, which resulted in a five-hour delay.
Months later, another woman did the same on a Lucky Air flight, but was not charged.
Many airlines don’t have a row 13 or row 17 because of superstitious travellers.
The number 13 is deemed unlucky in western culture while the number 17 is unlucky in Italy and Brazil.
Other odd superstitions around the world that are deemed bad luck, Sun Online previously revealed, include cutting your nails in the dark and whistling indoors.
Sun Online Travel has contacted Hainan Airlines for comment.