After throwing six coins at a plane engine “for good luck,” an elderly passenger was arrested by police
Police took the 66-year-old woman off the flight after she admitted she was responsible for throwing pieces of money as she was boarding the aircraft at Hohhot Baita International Airport in Inner Mongolia earlier this month.
All 100 passengers were then transferred onto a new plane and were permitted to carry on their travels after a two-hour delay and arrest.
Security was informed about the incident around 7:50 a.m. after crew members spotted the woman tossing coins from the stairs leading up to the plane, according to a statement released by Tianjin Airlines.
A firm spokesperson informed the Mail Online how staff were then directed to look for the money.
They then found multiple Yi Jiao coins — six of them to be exact — lying on the tarmac near the plane.
A woman, identified by the surname of Yang, had admitted to police that she threw coins as part of a good luck ritual to pray for a safe flight.
The statement from the airline confirmed that she has since been detained by the authorities and is currently awaiting further investigation.
Earlier in the year, a passenger made waves when he attempted to board a flight — fully naked.
He alleged that his clothes would impair the aerodynamics.
He was attempting to board a plane at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, destined for Crimea, while standing in the queue next to passengers.
In the footage, the man can be seen getting in line — butt naked.
While covering his private parts, he calmly waits as other pass through the final check.
It was not very clear why exactly the man did what he did but as the line moved forward, he continued to make the sign of the cross.
An eyewitness shared with REN TV:
“He went through the registration, threw off all his things, his bag, stripped naked and ran. He was detained when landing, managed to run. He broke through the ramp, he was detained further. I think this is spring aggravation. He was not drunk.”
“He shouted that he was naked because the clothes worsened the aerodynamics of the body. He would fly more agile without clothes.”
So why does flying make certain people feel the need to become unhinged?
According to airline captain and licensed therapist, Capt. Tomm Bunn, for those who are prone to panic and intense anxiety — air travel can be daunting.
Bunn teaches courses on coping with extreme flying fears, saying it is a matter of trust — and some people cannot accept that the pilot has control over their fate.
You can thank your “fight or flight” reflex for that.”
“Passengers can’t see what the pilot is doing, and they become convinced that every noise they’re hearing is something bad,” shares Bunn. “They become overloaded and their desire is to flee the situation.”
Takeoff as well as periods of turbulence are the peak times for passengers to have a melt down.
Every bump, noise or suspicious-looking seatmate can trigger an anxious person’s imagination to run off —- causing a surge in stress hormones.
The former Pan Am pilot counsels flyers from all over the world — teaching them a series of relaxation exercises that can help alleviate the anxiety.
“We teach passengers how to focus on nonthreatening things around them to keep their minds from running wild,” he says.
A flight attendant can be helpful in these circumstances — someone who likely can inform a nervous flyer of almost every odd sensation — as well as dole out calming information.
“Really, even a conversation can help,” says Bunn. “Once those stress hormones stop flowing, people can begin to think rationally again.”
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