Terrifying moment jets appears to skim the roof of packed sports stadium during pre-game flyover
A video filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, has caused alarm online after it appeared to show two jets flying extremely close to the roof of the 55,000-seat DHL Stadium during a pre-match flyover. The clips, taken from multiple angles, showed the two Airlink Embraer E-Jets passing through pyrotechnics set off at the top of the stadium as spectators cheered, with some footage making it look as though the aircraft nearly clipped the structure. The stunt has prompted criticism from some social media users who branded it dangerous and unnecessary, though there is no indication any incident nearly occurred.
According to flight-tracking data cited in the report, the jets flew roughly 41 to 46 feet above the stadium, which stands about 164 feet tall. The flyover, involving planes registered ZS-YAE and ZS-YDE and specially painted for the occasion, took place ahead of Saturday's rugby clash between South Africa's Springboks and New Zealand's All Blacks, part of a fixture billed as "Rugby's Greatest Rivalry." Airlink, an official partner of the event, described the display as "planning, precision, performance," and organisers noted that low-level flyovers have been a feature of major South African rugby matches since the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. Reaction online was mixed, with some calling it reckless and others praising it as spectacular.
- Two jets flew strikingly low over Cape Town's DHL Stadium before a rugby match
- Footage sparked online debate over safety, though no danger was reported
- Flyovers by Airlink jets have long preceded major South African rugby fixtures