Today marks 42nd anniversary of 1980 plane crash

by USA Boxing

On March 14, 1980, the sport of amateur boxing and the world tragically lost 22 members to a plane crash near Warsaw, Poland. The fourteen boxers and eight staff members aboard the flight, which killed a total of 77 people, were en route to an international event in Poland at the time of the crash.

The team was traveling from New York to Warsaw to compete in two dual events in Cracow and Katowice when the Polish IL-62 jetliner went down just a half a mile from Warsaw's Okecie Airport.


Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the tragic accident and USA Boxing would like to acknowledge those team members and the sacrifice they made for their country and the love of the sport. Those lost on March 14, 1980 will never be forgotten.


USA Boxing Team Members and Staff Lost in the 1980 Plane Crash

KELVIN D. ANDERSON

ELLIOT CHAVIS


GARY TYRONE CLAYTON


WALTER HARRIS


BYRON LINDSAY


ANDRE MCCOY


PAUL PALOMINO


BYRON PAYTON


GEORGE PIMENTAL


CHUCK ROBINSON


DAVID RODRIGUEZ


LEMUEL STEEPLES


JEROME STEWART


COL. BERNARD CALLAHAN


THOMAS "SARGE" JOHNSON


JOSEPH BLAND


JOHN RADISON


JUNIOR ROBLES


LONNIE YOUNG


DELORES WESSON


DR. RAY WESSON


STEVE SMIGIEL