Ken McKenzie and his wife Sonya turned to prayer during one unfateful flight when they nearly lost their lives. The couple experienced firsthand God’s miracle.
On Aug. 30, 2015, the couple decided to fly to Fort Lauderlade from Washington D.C. for a quick stop at Lynchburg Virginia to see their daughter Monica. Ken, with over 36 years of flying experience in the Royal Canadian Airforce and for commercial airlines in Canada and the U.S., was confident that their flight was going to go smoothly while Sonya was a little worried.
When they were about 3,800 feet on air Ken noticed that the engine’s oil pressure was very low so he radioed the tower and turned back to where they came from. The responder told him to switch to Fort Lauderdale executive tower and when he hit the radio button, the engine stopped.
Ken and Sonya were left deciding what to do and they must act fast. Ken decided to try and land the plane on a narrow gravel levee between the edge of town and the Everglades swamp. Running at over 100 miles/hour, he maneuvered the aircraft and hoped for a safe landing. It was during this moment of waiting to see what happens next that Ken and Sonya prayed to God.
Then the couple found themselves doubting if they would come out of the situation alive when fire engulfed the plane after it crash-landed. Ken managed to climb out and help Sonya out, pulling her out tirelessly despite the fact that he was on fire too. Finally, by some miracle, a circle of cleared path appeared which allowed them to escape the wreckage and ran towards the water.
Sonya suffered minor burns only while Ken sustained second and third-degree burns to 8% of his body. Despite the pain, the couple is thankful to God that he let them live that day.
“All I could feel was a sense of foreboding as to what could have happened and a sense of true gratefulness and joy, ” Ken told The 700 Club.
Ever since that near-death experience, Ken and Sonya have been sharing their faith with others, telling them about their God who grants miracles. Ken said sharing his faith has “become a heck of a lot easier” and said it is what God called him to do. Sonya added that their faith helped them during that day and they want to share their faith to help others too.