South Africa vs New Zealand: Cape Town stadium low jet flypast probed by South African aviation authority

The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) said it had obtained flight data recordings and requested additional information from Airlink as part of its assessment into the incident involving two passenger jets which passed within 100 metres of the DHL Stadium roof on Saturday.

A full report with recommendations will be issued once the review is complete.

"It is therefore critical that we interrogate this past weekend's events … to determine if there were any safety concerns which warrant a review," the agency said in a statement.

Airlink has withdrawn plans for another flyover at the upcoming rugby match in Soweto, according to the SACAA, which is responsible for regulating aviation safety and security.

The flyover ahead of the Springboks-All Blacks rugby match on August 29 drew huge cheers from an estimated crowd of about 56,000 but also sparked a debate over the safety risks after video footage by spectators inside and around the stadium spread online.

Airlink on Wednesday said the manoeuvre had been carefully planned and rehearsed and that safety was "the first consideration at every stage of the process."

It said each aircraft had three senior captains aboard, with more than 75,000 combined flight hours across the crews.

Earlier this week, Airlink had provided the data from the airplanes' black boxes to the civil aviation authority for review.

The SACAA said it would examine flight data to determine whether any safety concerns warranted a review.

The airline acknowledged the enthusiasm generated by the spectacle while also recognising what it described as the "valid questions and concerns" that followed.

"We never intended to become the news or upstage Rugby's Greatest Rivalry," said Airlink chief executive de Villiers Engelbrecht.

The regulator said the airline had made applications for three flyovers. The most recent one in Cape Town was the second, while the first flyover took place in Johannesburg on August 22. Both were approved in line with the requirements for special air events.

Airlink has withdrawn its application for a flyover scheduled for September 1, over Johannesburg's FNB Stadium.

The airline said forecast weather conditions were unfavourable for a safe formation flyby. SACAA confirmed that the application had been withdrawn.

South African rugby has a long tradition of stadium flybys at major matches, dating back to the 1995 Rugby World Cup final in Johannesburg, when a Boeing 747 swept over Ellis Park before the Springboks faced the All Blacks.

Last Saturday's flyby was unusually low and dramatic, drawing international attention, with some aviation experts later questioning whether the aircraft had left too little margin for error.

South Africa vs New Zealand Test series schedule

All games live on Sky Sports; kick-off times UK and Ireland

First Test (Ellis Park) - South Africa 16-33 New Zealand

Second Test (Cape Town Stadium) - South Africa 33-26 New Zealand

Third Test (Saturday September 5) - FNB Stadium, Johannesburg (4.10pm)

Fourth Test (Saturday September 12) - M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, USA (10pm)

Watch every minute of New Zealand's tour of South Africa, exclusively live on Sky Sports. Stream rugby and more sport contract-free with NOW