Two passenger jets roared over Cape Town’s packed DHL Stadium on Saturday and cleared the roof by as little as 41 feet, turning a rugby ritual into a viral close call.
Minutes before the Springboks faced the All Blacks, Airlink sent two specially painted Embraer jets — one green, one black — across the 55,000-seat ground as fireworks and smoke erupted around the roof. The airline is the official carrier of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
Flightradar24 data showed one aircraft at about 205 to 210 feet above sea level. The stadium stands roughly 164 feet, leaving 41 to 46 feet of clearance. Video made the margin look tighter. The lead jet appeared to pitch up, and some footage suggested it passed through the pyrotechnics.
Reaction split between awe and alarm.
“That could’ve been catastrophic,” one viewer wrote.
Others called it “dicey” and expected a call from aviation officials.
Airlink said the pass was planned, rehearsed and approved by the South African Civil Aviation Authority. Each jet carried three senior captains and flew at about 150 knots within authorized limits. No one was hurt. The stunt revived a tradition dating to the 1995 World Cup.
South Africa won 33-26 to level the series.
