We all have our superstitions. Some insist on left shoelace first. Some insist on turning their underwear inside out every second Friday, but that’s usually to do with it being washing day.

It seems some airline crew in San Francisco are also somewhat superstitious, although they might have a point.

Let’s be honest, who would want to fly from the US to Hong Kong with the words ‘Bye Bye’ and a frowning face written on the underside of the tail?

Gawker reports:

In the wake of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 four months earlier, Lam and the crew said they perceived the message as a serious threat.

But according to the 26-page complaint, United Airlines refused to deplane Flight 869, and the ground crew inspected only the auxiliary power unit, or APU, near the drawings, and said it was a “joke.”

The flight attendants refused to fly without a full security sweep, and the trip that was was canceled since United had no crew.

As a result the crew were all fired two months later for insubordination and have since filed a lawsuit. A United spokesperson said that the airline plans to defend the lawsuit “vigorously”.

It’s always nice to know that these big airlines care so much for the safety of their crew and passengers that they refused to do a security sweep of the plane.