(CAPTION: Colonel Kabungo (right), his wife Elena (centre) and their son Chambo pictured here at Serenity lodge in Kabulonga)
By CHRISPA MULENGA
OUT of curiosity, I punched the words ‘plane crash’ into the Google search engine and within a split second, I was provided with countless links to news reports and website pages relating to my search topic. I followed a few of these links and to my surprise; nearly all of them were talking about death.
It then clicked in my mind that the words ‘plane crash’ were very synonymous with death especially after coming across a statement on one website which read: “Wherever there is a plane crash, there is JUST supposed to be death.”
Really?
Truth be told, I treated that statement as gospel truth for some time.
But that was before I came across Colonel Kenneth Kabungo- the 55-year-old retired Zambia Air force (ZAF) pilot whose amazing testimony always leaves his listeners lifted in spirit.
This is the man who against all odds survived two very serious plane crashes within a space of just three days in Eastern province of Zambia.
The Church Newspaper caught up with Colonel Kabungo last Sunday at Tabernacle of Praise Mission Centre in Kabulonga where he and his family attend their Sunday worship services.
The retired military man begins by introducing us to his beautiful wife, Elena and their son Chambo. He tells us that he retired from ZAF in 2001 after working there for 20 years. Currently, he is with Proflight Zambia, a leading airliner in Zambia’s aviation industry. Colonel Kabungo has spent a total of 35 years in the aviation industry.
“Where should I start my story from,” asks Colonel Kabungo as his wife chips in saying “Honey, start from the Mfuwe accident in 2003.” And he obeys.
According to Colonel Kabungo, the two main plane crashes he got involved in happened in March 2003 while he was flying a chartered plane for tourists.
“We were going to Mfuwe (East Zambia) where I was taking some tourists for game viewing and other things. We were four altogether in the plane. But when we were just 30 minutes way from Mfuwe airport and quite high in terms of altitude….you know that place is very hilly… we just saw smoke coming out from the engines. Before I knew it, the passengers started screaming and crying,” narrated Colonel Kabungo.
The retired service man recalls that he also got scared.
“Although I also got scared, I quickly closed my eyes and asked God to help me find a flat piece of land, say a maize field or something.
“You know, the place was very filled with smoke and it was almost impossible to see anything outside. But God, being the great God that He is, told me to look to my left and when I did, guess what I saw. A maize field! God then told me to land there!” he said adding,
“But you know, landing a plane in a maize field is an almost impossible task. So, I did what I could do knowing that God would do the rest. I brought the plane down but upon reaching there with great impact, it flipped and got damaged extensively. But to our surprise, all of us survived with minor injuries.”
Colonel Kabungo recalls that a low flying plane managed to spot them and called for help. Three hours later, a ZAF chopper airlifted them from the crash site to safety and upon arrival at the District Hospital, he and all the tourists were certified fit and free to go about their businesses.
While the tourists managed to breath a sigh of relief, Colonel Kabungo’s story was quite far from over. It’s as if he just jumped from the frying pan right into the fire!
So, three days later, he and two ZAF pilots jumped into a ZAF chopper to visit the crash site. And they did locate the site. But while up in the air, the chopper appeared to have had developed a serious fault. Colonel Kabungo says he was talking to the pilot when they heard a loud bang from within the chopper. At that point, Colonel Kabungo recalls that the spirit told him to strap himself into the seat belt and he did. Immediately, the pilot lost control of the chopper and it started rotating on its own at a breakneck speed. The chopper then started ripping into pieces right before their terrified eyes.
“You know, had I ignored God’s command to me to wear my seat belt that very moment, I couldn’t have lived to tell you this story. I could have had died that very moment because at the speed the chopper was rotating, I could have had been thrown out and because we were high up-up in the sky, I could have died upon reaching the surface,” he narrated adding “So, when the chopper rotated and rotated and started disintegrating, it started to come down. We were very high in the sky and we crashed on to the surface with heavy force.”
Colonel Kabungo went on: “All of us survived but with very serious injuries. I remember I got my back, arm, shoulders and legs broken. My colleagues were worse. Now, that was afternoon into evening. That place is a game park with some very dangerous animals and snakes. So, we had to start a fire to protect ourselves. With all the pain that you can never imagine, we managed to start a fire but before we knew it, the rains started. It rained the whole night. We were soaked the whole night but God made sure that not even one animal or snake came near to us.
“But before 12 hours the following day, help arrived. Our rescuers couldn’t believe that we survived because nothing was left of the chopper we were in. Because our conditions were very serious, we were quickly airlifted to Maina Soko Military hospital in Lusaka. I was in hospital for some days. My colleagues were there for about 2 weeks.”
Another plane crash Colonel Kabungo survived took place earlier in his career and was similar to the initial Mambwe accident in terms of occurrence. The ex-service man says he has also survived many minor (less serious) plane mishaps in his 35-year stay in the aviation industry.
So, what does Colonel Kabungo make of all these happenings in his life?
“You know, when I look at all this, sometimes, I fail to believe that I am still alive. I have seen people fly at very low altitudes but when the plane crashed, they died. Very low height but they still die. How many people have died during plane crashes? Many. But look at me, I was flying very high and dropped with great impact, but God still restored my life. He is a great God, I tell you. I have seen His hand in my life. I have seen it! I am a testimony of His greatness and mercy,” he said.
Colonel Kabungo also has a piece of advice for people with risky jobs and those who survive life threatening experiences.
“When I had my first accident, I at first thought we survived because I am a good pilot and that I am intelligent. But when I thought through it, landing a plane in a maize field is not something a human being can do that easily. It was God at work. He is great God, I tell you. I think even all those people who do risky jobs should never think that they manage their jobs because they are just good. Look, you are not superman. There is a Superman out there. He does things for them. I think they should thank Him every day.”
Asked if the plane crashes he got involved in made him feel neglected or let down by God, Colonel Kabungo answered in the negative. “Actually, these plane crashes strengthened my faith in God. I accepted God into my life a long time ago but I think God wanted me to be even closer to Him. That is why those crashes took place. You know as Christians, we need to stop thinking that simply because we have accepted Christ into our lives, problems are no more for us. Actually, that’s when the devil gets strong against us,” preached Colonel Kabungo.
Colonel Kabungo’s wife, Elena said she also thinks the same about the challenges her husband was in.
“My husband was really down. But even at his weakest point, I could see it in his eyes that he was a strong man and that he was going to make it. He is a strong believer. It was just a matter of time. I knew that God never let’s down his people,” concluded Elena with a firm smile.
So, after hearing for yourself Colonel Kabungo’s story, do you still believe that crazy, sadistic and paganic statement that says…“Wherever there is a plane crash, there is JUST supposed to be death”?
[Source:The Church Newspaper- Zambia’s first Christian newspaper]