Anh-Thu Nguyen, 44, wanted to be the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo flight around the world. Her journey ended prematurely after her airplane crashed in Greenwood, Indiana, on July 30.
The Johnson County coroner has identified Nguyen as the pilot killed in a small-plane crash earlier Wednesday.
Nguyen was on the second leg of her journey. She left the Indy South Greenwood Airport at 10:45 a.m. and was en route to an airport in Pennsylvania, according to flight records from Flightaware.
A few minutes after taking off from the Greenwood airport, Nguyen's 2005 Lancair IV-P was seen spiraling out of the air. It ultimately landed on a hill behind a Circle K gas station on Greenwood's Main Street.
Frank Williams, a witness to the crash, noticed that the airplane was quiet as it fell from the sky.
"There was no explosion, and there was no fire. I pulled right up, and I could smell fuel. As I got close to the plane, I could tell there wasn't a survivor," Williams said.
It's unclear what led to the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
Earlier coverage: Small airplane crash near I-65 in Greenwood leaves pilot dead
Who was Anh-Thu Nguyen
Nguyen, a 2015 Purdue University graduate, wanted to inspire other Asian women to get in the cockpit and join her in the sky.
Once she became a pilot, Nguyen dedicated her time to paving the way for Asian women who had a passion for aviation. She started Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 2018 and became the chief flight instructor at Dragon Flight Training Academy in Georgia.
Nguyen was born in Vietnam, moving to the United States when she was 12 years old. She received a bachelor of science in math and a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Purdue University. She recieved a doctoral degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Georgia Institue of Techonology.
"As an Asian woman, I faced many obstacles and challenges to get to where I am today, especially adapting to a new culture, language, and life in the United States. I wanted to give back and inspire the next generation," she told Purdue University.
Nguyen originally conceived the idea of becoming the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo flight around the world in 2019, but due to a number of issues, her plans were pushed back.
On July 27, 2025, Nguyen officially started her journey around the world when she flew out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, toward Indiana.
On July 30, before Nguyen left the Greenwood Airport, she posted an update about her journey on her social media accounts.
"I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world," she said. "This is more than just a flight. It's a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots and aerospace engineers and STEM professionals."
Her death has come as a shock to many on social media who were following the start of her journey, as the comment sections of her videos were folded with "rest in peace" messages.
Noe Padilla is a Public Safety reporter for IndyStar. Contact him at [email protected], follow him on X @1NoerPadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pilot who died in Indiana crash was trying to fly solo around the world
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