The airline that flew a packed rugby stadium at an extremely low altitude announced on Wednesday that it would hand over data from the plane’s black box to show that the flight was carried out in accordance with government regulations.
On Saturday, two 98-seat Embraer 190 regional jets from South African airline Airlink buzzed Cape Town’s DHL Stadium just before a match between South African Springboks and New Zealand’s All Blacks.
The plane’s lowest altitude was only about 46 feet above the stadium’s roof, according to the tracking website Flightradar 24.
“Data recorded in the digital flight data recorders (black boxes) of both aircraft indicate that the flights were conducted within the (South African Civil Aviation Authority) approved and rehearsed safe altitude and speed limits for flight passes,” Airlink said in a statement to CNN on Wednesday.
The airline said authorities provided “guidance, approval and assistance to ensure safe flights” and each plane was flown by three senior captains, including one who served as safety and technical officer. There were no passengers on board.
Aviation authorities are reviewing the flight data and have asked AirLink for additional information, the Associated Press said.
“Therefore, it is important to investigate the events of this past weekend to determine whether there were any safety concerns that need to be reviewed,” the agency said in a statement to The Associated Press.
A week earlier, Airlink conducted a similar flyby over Johannesburg’s Ellis Park Stadium, using the same specially livery jet to celebrate “rugby’s biggest rivalry”.
According to the Associated Press, the airline withdrew its application for a third flyover citing bad weather.
Many in South Africa celebrated the high-flying flight, which the United States determined met international standards for aerial surveillance.
South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie joked online shortly after the flyover: “We all know we have the best pilots in the world and it was spectacular. Next time we will ask our pilots to land in the field and prepare to be even more amazed.”
“We’re cooking something,” he posted Wednesday while standing in front of another Airlink jet.
Many aviation experts believe the flight was not worth the risk because the altitude was so low that there was no margin for error.
“This was a very dangerous procedure and it was unnecessary,” former NTSB Chairman Pete Goelz told CNN. “A 1,000-foot flyby is already impressive and people enjoy it. There’s no reason to lower the altitude other than taking unnecessary risks.”
U.S. regulations state that planes must remain at least 1,000 feet above crowded areas unless they have explicit permission from the Federal Aviation Administration.
But low-flying airliners are part of South African rugby history.
In 1995, a South African Airways Boeing 747 famously flew over the Rugby World Cup final in Johannesburg.
And in 2024, an Emirates A380 flew over the same stadium, albeit a few hundred feet above.
A high-flying flyover in Cape Town on Saturday interrupted a summer of aircraft flying alarmingly close to the ground.
In July, a U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilot flew low over crowds during a Pensacola Beach air show, sending tents flying and military leaders scrambling to protect the exercise.
A month ago, a Boeing 777 on a test flight flew over the runway in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, at just 25 feet, sparking a federal investigation.
