ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Sport
FLIGHT RISK
The mystery surrounding the Airlink flyover that saw two passenger jets swoop alarmingly close to Cape Town Stadium ahead of last weekend’s All Blacks-Springboks Test has taken an extraordinary turn, with the pilot of the lead aircraft revealed to be none other than unwanted All Blacks flanker Du’Plessis Kirifi.
Kirifi, who controversially missed out on the initial 44-man squad for the All Blacks’ Greatest Rivalry Tour of South Africa, is understood to have become increasingly desperate to find a way into the tour.
“I just wanted to get close to the action and be part of the gameday action. Maybe I got a little too close,” Kirifi said to our reporters after safely landing the plane.
“People are asking why the plane was flying so low. Was it reckless? Probably. Was I closer to the Test squad? Absolutely. ”
Kirifi somehow made his way into the cockpit of one of the airline aircraft and convinced the ground crew that he was simply “helping out with the flyover” and explained he was part of the All Blacks squad, which was relatively believable.
The subsequent flight has attracted intense scrutiny after dramatic footage showed the two aircraft swooping over the stadium, with flight-tracking analysis indicating the lead plane came to within approximately 12.5 to 14 metres of the stadium’s highest structure.
“I thought the best way to show the AB’s coaches how badly I wanted to be there was to actually be there.”
It remains unclear whether the stunt will earn Kirifi a call-up to the team itself, although officials have confirmed he has been banned from flying Airlink planes.
More to come.
