A pre-match flyover at a packed rugby showdown in South Africa drew gasps online after two regional passenger jets were filmed skimming frighteningly close to the roofline of Cape Town’s DHL Stadium.
Clips of the moment quickly spread across social media, with one stunned viewer writing that it looked as though the aircraft “almost hit the top of Cape Town Stadium.”
Another commenter summed up the nerve-racking scene more bluntly: “That was a bit dicey if you ask me. Shoo-wee.”
Footage captured from high inside the venue shows the jets roaring over the stadium as fireworks erupt below them, creating the impression that the lower aircraft passed within only a few feet of the structure.
“That could’ve been catastrophic,” one X user posted as debate grew over just how close the planes appeared to come to the arena.
Another observer questioned the planning behind the spectacle, writing that both planes seemed “too low,” particularly the lead jet, and suggesting the stadium pyrotechnics may not have been included in the pilots’ briefing.
The flyby was carried out by two Embraer E-Jets operated by South African regional carrier Airlink before Saturday’s highly anticipated rugby match between the Springboks and New Zealand’s All Blacks at the 55,000-seat DHL Stadium, according to Cape Town Etc.
Broadcast on national television, the dramatic Cape Town stadium flyover featured the Airlink jets in a special all-green paint scheme for the occasion as they thundered just above the venue moments before kickoff.
Different video angles posted to social media show the aircraft sweeping incredibly close to the top of the 164-foot stadium roof — particularly as the tail of the first jet seemed to dip towards the stadium while the aircraft pitched upwards.
While one camera angle shows the first jet seemingly skimming the roof of the stadium, another video suggests that there was more space between the jet and the building.
Flight tracking data reportedly indicated the aircraft had a barometric altitude of around 164 feet as it soared above the stadium, aviation outlet PYOK reported.
However, aircraft flying near large structures, such as a stadium, can appear much closer to the building than it actually is — particularly when viewed from a low camera angle.
A flyover spectacle can also appear much more dramatic when an aircraft changes pitch.
Available flight information, however, does not suggest that the Airlink jets were at risk of colliding with the 55,000 seat stadium, Cape Town Etc reported.
Low-altitude flyby events have been a longstanding tradition in South African sporting history, according to the local publication.
The tradition dates back to the 1995 Rugby World Cup final where a South African Airways Boeing 747 flew atop a packed Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg before the clash between South Africa and New Zealand.
The Post reached out to Airlink but did not immediately receive a request for comment.
