By Keith Maag - One of those days
Tension, destruction, grief, injury and death - the things a MAF pilot can face…in just one day.
Keith Maag recalls events on a day back in March when he and Chris Bubb flew the Twin Otter out of Telefomin (PNG)…
1. Keith Maag and Chris Bubb Twin Otter pilots based at Telefomin
“Our day started with a flight to the small bush community of Miyanmin, north of Telefomin in the far west of Papua New Guinea. A few days before, we had flown the coffin of Ray Waniap, our deceased MAF team leader from Goroka, into this community.
We didn’t get a great reception when we delivered the coffin and a number of serious compensation demands were made. So we were returning to Miyanmin to receive a letter of apology from the community and pick up family members who had attended the funeral. The atmosphere at Miyanmin was rather subdued.
As we prepared to depart, we received a radio message via Rumginae Mission hospital that a badly injured man at a nearby airstrip needed an emergency medical evacuation. We already had a busy program but rearranged things and flew to Gubil airstrip to collect him.
After loading the man, we started the engines on the Twin Otter and noticed a caution light in the cockpit telling us we had an engine problem. We shut down the aircraft, unloaded all the passengers and contacted MAF engineering staff on the radio.
They advised we could continue flying to drop off our passengers, but would then need to ferry the aircraft to Mount Hagen for maintenance. We reloaded the passengers and departed for Telefomin.
MAF pilots become fire fighters
On the ground at Telefomin, we noticed smoke coming from the local high school, located on the other side of the airstrip. People started yelling and running as the flames and smoke intensified. We grabbed a fire extinguisher and first aid kit, jumped into the MAF vehicle and drove to the school.
When we arrived the girls’ dormitory was well alight and nearby buildings were starting to smoulder. Chris and I joined the local community for the next two hours fighting the fire. A lot of damage was caused and the dormitory totally destroyed. Thankfully no one was badly hurt.
Finally, we departed Telefomin and headed for Tabubil. As soon as we shutdown at Tabubil a passenger reported that a baby had just died on board the aircraft. I got on the radio to organise an ambulance while Chris went back into the cabin to assist.
When I got into the cabin the baby was lifeless, so Chris started CPR while I monitored for pulse and signs of life. The concerned parents looked on with great sadness. We continued CPR for about 15 minutes until the ambulance arrived and took the baby and family to hospital.
We found out later that attempts by medical staff at Tabubil Hospital to resuscitate the baby had failed. (We flew the tiny body back to Telefomin the next day for burial).
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‘I wondered whether I was meant to be a pilot, diplomat, engineer, ambulance driver, fire fighter or doctor’
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In a rather subdued mood, Chris and I then had to think about a ferry flight to Mt Hagen where our engineers were waiting to look at the engine problem from earlier in the day. We arrived safely in Mount Hagen tired but with our heads spinning after such an incredible series of events.
Reflecting on the course of the day I wondered whether serving with MAF meant I was a pilot, diplomat, aircraft engineer, ambulance driver, fire-fighter or doctor. On this day, we needed to be all of the above.
I was close to tears twice. Once at Telefomin when I saw a group of school girls huddling together weeping as they witnessed fire destroy all of their possessions. And second, when I held the dead body of a baby boy in my hands.
As you gather to pray at different times, please remember that your prayers are vital to the work we do in Papua New Guinea. We need God’s power, grace and love as we seek to serve him in various situations.”
