Low-flying planes spark panic at Cape Town rugby stadium
Spectators panicked at Cape Town's DHL Stadium when two Embraer planes flew extremely low before a South Africa vs New Zealand rugby match.
Key Takeaways
AIA flyover by two Embraer aircraft belonging to South African airline Airlink caused panic among spectators at Cape Town's DHL Stadium ahead of Saturday's rugby match between South Africa's Springboks and New Zealand's All Blacks.
The planes flew at an extremely low altitude, appearing just feet above the stadium roof, which seats 55,000, as fireworks lit up the sky.
Footage from various angles showed the first plane approaching strikingly close, tilting its tail toward the ground as it ascended.
Videos quickly spread across social media, with users expressing fears of a potential disaster and noting how close the aircraft came to the stadium roof.
Some observers suggested the fireworks may not have been part of the original flyover plan.
Aviation website Pioque reported that tracking data showed the plane flew at an altitude of just 164 feet.
Despite the alarming scene, aviation information indicated the planes were never in real danger of colliding with the stadium.
Low-altitude aerial displays are a long-standing tradition in South African sports and often precede major matches.