Miami pilot attempting to fly around the world dies after plane crashes in Indianapolis suburb, officials say
According to WTTV, the CBS News affiliate in Indianapolis, 44-year-old Anh-Thu Nguyen of Miami died after a small plane crashed near Interstate 65 and Main Street in Greenwood, Indiana — about 15 miles south of Indianapolis. The Johnson County Coroner's Office was the official agency responsible for identifying her.
Just before 11 a.m., Nguyen's plane began making a series of "strange aerial maneuvers" before it crashed into a grassy ditch just a mile southeast of the Indy South Greenwood Airport, WTTV reported. Nguyen was the aircraft's pilot and its only occupant.
Multiple witnesses told WTTV that they saw Nguyen's plane lose control before nose-diving into the ground just a few feet behind a nearby gas station.
"The plane was kind of banking and they started to lower and then pulled up and started to roll, and I thought it's like a sky show and they went straight into the ground," witness Amanda Landwerlen told WTTV.
"She was banking hard left to go north, and all of the sudden, the nose dove and she went into a spin and just went straight down," added Frank Williams, another witness.
Williams told WTTV that he called 911 and ran toward the downed plane, but there was nothing anyone could do to save Nguyen's life.
The Greenwood Fire Department told WTTV that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
"This could have been a lot worse if they went into the gas station, but there's no indication of how the crash occurred," said Tyler Swardson with the Greenwood Fire Department.
Nguyen grew up in Vietnam and was fascinated by the airplanes that soared above her village, according to Purdue University, her alma mater.
"I longed to have that experience of flying and controlling a plane, of feeling small and vulnerable yet at the same time so powerful," she told Purdue in a 2024 profile piece.
She came to the United States at age 12, where she went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 2013 and her Master of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2015.
Hoping to encourage and engage aspiring female pilots and engineers herself, Nguyen founded the nonprofit Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation (AWAA) in 2018. According to AWAA, its global mission is "to encourage, empower and engage the next generation of Asian female pilots, aerospace engineers and STEM professionals."
Two years later, Nguyen opened the Dragon Flight Training Academy at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Florida, where she taught others the power of flight and helped them develop skills in risk assessment and safety-oriented decision making.
"I love being a flight instructor because I'm able to share my knowledge while at the same time learning more about aviation myself," she told Purdue.
According to a source with the Experimental Aircraft Association, Nguyen had over 4,000 hours of flight time, serving as a commercial pilot and having flown for Amazon, WTTV reported.
In 2024, Nguyen became the 10th woman to fly solo around the world, making 25 stops to circumnavigate the globe. According to her Instagram, she was trying to repeat that feat when her plane crashed on Wednesday.
In a statement posted to its website, the AWAA said it was "heartbroken by the sudden loss" of its founder.
"Anh-Thu was an inspiring pilot, instructor, and advocate for girls and women in aerospace, engineering, and aviation," the statement read. "She lived with boldness, curiosity, and drive. She came from humble beginnings in Vietnam to becoming a beacon of hope to many."
The AWAA continued saying that those who wish to honor Nguyen's legacy can make a donation to the nonprofit in her name and use those donations to "continue her dream of helping young girls pursue their dreams and a scholarship in her name."
"We hold her family, friends and community dearly in our hearts at this time," the AWAA said. "May she fly high in the blue skies."
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