The UPDF Establishment has paid tribute to fallen Major Naomi Karungi who died in a chopper crash Tuesday in hills of Gomba- Butambala Districts.
Wielding an experience of 14 years in aviation, Karungi together with her co-pilot Benon Wokalu perished after their copter fell from the sky and burst into flames.
“We regret to inform that a UPDAF Jet Ranger on a training mission has crashed. It had two crew members. Sadly, no one has survived. Investigation into the cause has started. Condolences to their families and the entire UPDF fraternity,” UPDF spokesperson Brig. Richard Karemire announced shortly after the incident.
On Thursday a farewell service for Naomi Karungi was conducted at Church of the Resurrection Bugolobi, Kampala.
In attendance were the army commander Gen. David Muhoozi, commander Air Forces, Lt. Gen. Charles Lutaaya among other UPDF officials.
Karungi was praised for her outstanding service for the army, patriotism and hard work.
She is considered one of the most senior pilots the military had.
Who is Karungi?
Maj. Karungi was the only female helicopter pilot in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces.
She had served in the airforce since 2005.
Before her demise Karungi was supposed to travel to the United States for a course at the end of this month.
Maj Karungi, from Nyakahita in Kiruhura District, had been flying the Jet Ranger since 2005 to transport VIPs.
Those close to her, said she was a devoted born-again Christian and a prayerful officer. In an interview with NTV Uganda in June last year, Maj Karungi said she joined the army after completing university.
“We were at university and we got an opportunity to join the military. After the military [training], we went to the flying school and the rest is history,” she said then.
She spent three years at Soroti Flying School training how to control an aircraft in motion. She later attained qualification to fly fixed wing planes.
“When I got an opportunity to come to the airbase, the commanders were very gracious to me and asked what I wanted to fly and I told them I wanted to fly a helicopter,” she said.
Maj Karungi worked hard to measure up to her male colleagues.
“Social life is part of my life but the military is first,” she added.
In the same interview, she said the Jet Ranger is the smallest aircraft and is “disturbed by three things” which named as winds, high temperatures and mountainous terrain.
She said there was nothing men can do that women can’t.
Maj Karungi was not yet married and had no child.