Following a Kenya Air Force Harbin Y-12 crash on 12 January 2021, another African Y-12 most probably ended its service life. A Zambian Air Force (ZAF) Y-12 crashed at Kasempa airfield on 26 January 2021.
A Zambian Air Force Y-12 aircraft with 5 crew carrying five 210 litre diesel drums from Lusaka to Mukinge, skidded off the runway on landing.
Two crew received injuries and were taken to hospital. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage.
Kasempa is known to be a tricky airfield to land or take-off from because of the surrounding hills and treacherous winds.
The Zambian Y-12s are based at ZAF Lusaka with No.22 Squadron. The squadron operates both Y-12-II and Y-12-IV.
The crashed Y-12 was serial AF-222 and belongs to the latter type. Zambia purchased ten Y-12s from China from March 1994 onwards.
Through the years, the ZAF lost already two Y-12-IIs, one on 16 October 2010 (AF-215) and one on 18 May 2005 (AF-216). The seven remaining Y-12s will soldier on.
