An aircraft performs a low flyby before the match between South Africa and New Zealand in Cape Town. Photograph: Jamie Rossouw/ReutersView image in fullscreenAn aircraft performs a low flyby before the match between South Africa and New Zealand in Cape Town.
Lista completa
- Cape Town stunt sparks major debate over safety risks.
- Airlink afirma que o sobrevoo foi conduzido de acordo com as normas.
55 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA pre-game stunt involving two passenger jets flying dramatically low over a stadium in South Africa drew huge cheers from the estimated crowd of 56,000 people, but also sparked a major debate over safety risks.
O sobrevoo de dois jatos Embraer, operados pela companhia aérea local Airlink, ocorreu no sábado antes do segundo Teste de rugby union entre África do Sul e Nova Zelândia em Cidade do Cabo.
The flight tracking service Flightradar24 estimated that the lead jet passed just 41-46 feet (12-14 metres) above the roof of Cape Town Stadium, with the crowd and the world’s top-ranked rugby teams below.
O segundo jato, que estava muito próximo atrás, sobrevoou uma nuvem de poeira rosa que se elevou do teto do estádio como parte do espetáculo.
Airlink, a sponsor of the South Africa rugby union team, said the flyby was conducted according to safety regulations. The airline said that it was carefully planned and rehearsed, with the aircraft flying at 150 knots (172 mph), when they went over the stadium.
Each jet had three senior captains on board, Airlink said, operating in the roles of a commander, a co-pilot and a safety officer. The jets were not carrying any passengers.
View image in fullscreenThe planes fly above the stadium before kick-off. Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty ImagesSouth African rugby union has a tradition of stadium flybys at big games, starting when a Boeing 747 flew over a stadium in Johannesburg before the 1995 World Cup final between the same teams, who are fierce rivals.
Mas o sobrevoo no fim de semana passado foi especialmente baixo e dramático, gerando interesse global depois que foi exibido como parte da transmissão pré-jogo, e provocando uma enxurrada de vídeos gravados por testemunhas.
View image in fullscreenThe second jet flies through a cloud of pink dust that shot up from the stadium roof as part of the show. Photograph: APSome aviation experts questioned whether the margin for error was too small.
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Keith Tonkin, consultor de aviação australiano e ex‑piloto militar e comercial, disse ontem, segunda‑feira, que os jatos de passageiros Embraer – que são jatos pequenos a médios projetados para voos regionais – não foram projetados ou destinados a esse tipo de operação em baixa altitude e alertou contra o precedente.
