On the morning of July 30, 2025, Vietnamese-American pilot Anh‑Thu Nguyen, 44, lost her life when her single-engine aircraft crashed just minutes after taking off from Indy South Greenwood Airport in Greenwood, Indiana. She was the sole occupant of the Lancair IV‑P and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses reported that the aircraft began a series of unusual maneuvers, lost altitude, and entered a quiet spiral before crashing into the ground just behind a gas station on Main Street in Greenwood. There was no explosion or fire at the time of impact.
The crash site was about 15 miles (24 km) south of Indianapolis. No injuries were reported on the ground.
Nguyen had just begun her second attempt to circumnavigate the globe solo, having departed from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 27, with her first destination being Greenwood and the next planned stop in Pennsylvania.
+ Watch the last video posted by Anh‑Thu Nguyen
In a video posted moments before takeoff, she stated:
“I’m super excited today. I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world… This is more than just a flight, ok? It’s a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian women in aviation, aerospace engineering, and STEM.”
She concluded: “Wish me luck. Thank you and see you in Pennsylvania.”
In 2024, Nguyen became the tenth woman in history to fly solo around the world, making approximately 25 stops, and was the first pilot of Vietnamese descent to complete a solo circumnavigation.
In 2018, she founded Asian Women in Aerospace & Aviation (AWAA), a nonprofit organization aimed at increasing representation of Asian women in aviation, engineering, and STEM fields. The organization estimates it has impacted more than 25 million people globally.
Anh‑Thu Nguyen left a legacy that goes beyond her achievements as an aviator: she symbolized diversity, inclusion, and inspiration for women in traditionally male-dominated sectors. Her passing represents an irreparable loss for the global aviation community, especially among Asian communities and young women interested in STEM. AWAA has already announced its intention to continue her mission, including fundraising efforts in her memory and educational initiatives in her name.
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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are conducting investigations to determine the cause of the crash, with no current hypotheses regarding mechanical failure or pilot error.
Source and images: Instagram @pilot_anh_thu | X @aviationbrk | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
