Vietnamese-American pilot who flew solo around world dies in Indiana crash

Her small aircraft went down on the morning of July 30 in a field near the Nest Event Center, moments after taking off from Indy South Greenwood Airport in Greenwood. She was the only person on board, Indianapolis news site WTHR reported.

The aftermath of a plane crash involving Vietnamese American pilot Anh-Thu Nguyen in Greenwood, Indiana, the U.S., July 30, 2025. Photo courtesy of the Greenwood Fire Department

The Greenwood Fire Department identified the victim as 44-year-old Nguyen. Federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are probing the cause of the crash.

Just hours earlier, Nguyen shared on social media that she planned to fly from Indiana to Pennsylvania.

She described herself as a Boeing 767 ferry pilot and the founder of Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation (AWAA), a nonprofit championing women in the industry.

Anh-Thu Nguyen. Photo courtesy of Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation

Born in Vietnam and raised in the U.S. from age 12, Nguyen earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 2013 and a master's in aeronautics and astronautics in 2015 from Purdue University.

She founded AWAA in 2018 to support flight training, scholarships and mentorship for Asian women in aviation. In 2020, she launched the Dragon Flight Training Academy in Florida, specializing in pilot instruction and in-flight risk assessment.

In 2024, Nguyen completed her most ambitious feat, becoming the 10th woman to fly solo around the globe, a journey spanning several weeks and 25 stops.

AWAA confirmed her passing, saying she "lived with boldness, curiosity, and drive." The group added: "She came from humble beginnings to becoming a beacon of hope to many," WishTV reported.