'Someone will be fired': Airlink jets drop to just 14 metres above packed Cape Town stadium roof during Springboks flyover
Flight-tracking data confirmed one Airlink jet dropped to a barometric altitude of just 164 feet above sea level — level with the stadium roof itself — over a crowd of 55,000.The second Airlink jet flew directly into smoke from a pyrotechnic that had exploded above the roofline, as both aircraft ripped through fireworks at around 220kph.A New Zealand-liveried jet appeared to tip its tail toward the stadium before pulling sharply upward at the last second over the packed Cape Town crowd.
Two Airlink Embraer jets passed within 12 to 14 metres of the roof of Cape Town's 55,000-capacity DHL Stadium on Saturday, with flight tracking data confirming the alarming closeness as the aircraft ripped through fireworks at around 220kph over a packed crowd. A New Zealand-liveried jet appeared to tip its tail toward the stadium before pulling sharply upward at the last second, while the second aircraft flew directly into the smoke billowing from a pyrotechnic that had exploded above the roofline. Airlink, an official sponsor of the Springboks vs All Blacks 'Greatest Rivalry' series, celebrated its own "planning, precision and performance" on social media as fury spread across the internet.
Flight Radar confirmed one aircraft dropped to a barometric altitude of just 164 feet above sea level — level with the stadium roof itself.
Former cricketer Kevin Pietersen tweeted 'CRIKEY!' while aviation expert Michael Glynn wrote: 'There's low flyovers and then there's this.'
One online observer questioned whether the stadium pyrotechnics were 'part of the planning or the brief' — suggesting the fireworks may have been an unplanned hazard.
