A young man’s dream of taking to the skies nearly ended in tragedy after an aircraft he painstakingly assembled from scrap metal crashed during a test flight.
Despite sustaining injuries, the Ugandan inventor survived the accident and is now hoping to get another opportunity to pursue his unusual engineering ambitions.
About Matege’s Homemade Aircraft
The man, identified as Matege, hails from Kasambira Trading Centre in Kamuli District, where he attracted attention after constructing a homemade flying machine using pieces of scrap metal.
Matege named his creation the Chopper Fighter Jet 136 Matege UG, describing it as a custom-built aircraft that combined features of a helicopter, aeroplane and fighter jet.
His invention drew widespread attention in early November 2026 after videos and images of the unusual machine circulated online.
Matege had made several extraordinary claims about the capabilities of his creation, claiming the machine had a bulletproof system and that it could reach altitudes of up to 30,000 feet.
He also suggested that the invention could double as a road vehicle, giving it the ability to serve as both an aircraft and a means of transport on the ground.
Matege Survived Crash
These ambitious features formed part of his vision for the Chopper Fighter Jet 136 Matege UG.
However, the excitement surrounding his creation turned into concern when the aircraft crashed during a test flight.
Matege, who was inside the machine when the accident happened, survived the incident but sustained injuries and is currently nursing them.
The crash marked a difficult moment for the young inventor, whose ambition had been to demonstrate that he could build a flying machine using locally available materials.
Matege Appeals for Support
Despite the setback that saw him escape death by a whisker, the determined innovator has not abandoned his engineering ambitions.
He appealed to the government for financial and technical assistance to help him improve his design and continue developing his invention.
He hopes that with access to the right expertise, equipment and resources, he can work on his creation and take his engineering ambitions further.
A vdeo of him asking the government and members of the public to help ensure his dream becomes a reality below.
His story has attracted attention because of the ingenuity and determination behind his attempt to build an aircraft from scrap materials.
However, aviation experts would need to assess the machine before it could be considered safe or capable of flight.
Any further testing would also require appropriate engineering oversight and aviation safety approvals.
For Matege, the crash may have interrupted his dream, but he is still hoping for an opportunity to turn his unusual invention into something more.
