2 planes came shockingly close to crashing into a stadium on live TV. Now investigators are probing the incident.

An Airlink jet flying low over the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.

Stringer/Reuters Two airliners flew narrowly above a South African stadium before a rugby game on Saturday.

One came within 50 feet of the roof, and the other appeared to be hit by a firework.

Regulators are probing the incident, and the airline withdrew plans for another flypast.

A spectacular flypast can energize the crowd before a big sports game, but an incident on Saturday has sparked discussions over safety risks.

Ahead of a rugby match between South Africa and New Zealand, a pair of planes operated by Airlink, a South African airline, soared shockingly close above Cape Town 's DHL Stadium.

The lead aircraft, an Embraer E195 , came within 50 feet of the roof, according to data from Flightradar24.

Videos of the incident appeared to show that the other, an E190, was struck by a firework.

SACAA OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO VIRAL AIRLINK LOW FLYPAST OVER CAPE TOWN'S DHL STADIUM The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has confirmed it is conducting compliance verifications into Saturday's dramatic Airlink flypast ahead of the Springboks vs.

All Blacks match… pic.twitter.com/PuEu1Fg7ij — Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) September 2, 2026 Some aviation enthusiasts praised the daring display and the pilots' precision, like South Africa's Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie.

"It's a well known fact that we have the best pilots in the world, that was spectacular, next time I will ask the pilots to land on the field," he joked on X.

However, many others say it was reckless, endangering the 55,000 fans who came to watch the rivalry between the world's top two rugby teams.

South Africa's Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) said on Wednesday that it was looking into the incident, "following various discussions in the media." 😱😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/CyPB2QvlOB — Captain Springbok (@CaptSpringbok) August 29, 2026 Airlink also withdrew its application for another flypast for a game this coming weekend, according to the regulator.

The BBC reported that Airlink cited a poor weather forecast.