Indiana, United States: Anh‑Thu Nguyen, a trailblazing pilot and aerospace engineer celebrated for inspiring Asian women to pursue aviation and STEM careers, died Wednesday morning in a plane crash in Greenwood, Indiana. She was 44. Nguyen, who in 2024 became only the tenth woman to circumnavigate the globe solo and the first of Vietnamese descent to achieve the feat, was attempting to recreate her historic flight when her single‑engine Lancair IV‑P went down shortly after takeoff from Indy South Greenwood Airport. The crash occurred at approximately 10:45 a.m., moments after the aircraft lifted off on a planned leg toward Pennsylvania. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft bank sharply before spiraling down behind a Circle K gas station along Main Street.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. The aircraft involved was a 2005 Lancair IV‑P, a high‑performance kit‑built plane known for its speed and efficiency. Investigators have not yet determined whether mechanical issues, environmental factors or pilot workload contributed to the crash. A preliminary report is expected within two weeks.
Nguyen was more than an accomplished pilot. A Boeing 767 commercial aviator, flight instructor and chief pilot at Dragon Flight Training Academy in Florida, she also held a doctorate in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech. In 2018, she founded Asian Women in Aerospace & Aviation, a nonprofit dedicated to mentoring and empowering Asian women pursuing careers in aviation and related STEM fields.
Before Wednesday’s flight, Nguyen posted a video message from the cockpit expressing excitement about repeating her world‑spanning journey, this time as part of a public outreach mission. “Hi everyone, 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, it’s a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots, aerospace engineers and STEM professionals. Wish me luck, let’s keep flying forward together,” she said.
Asian Women in Aerospace & Aviation said in a statement that Nguyen “was an inspiring pilot, instructor and advocate for girls and women in aerospace and aviation. She was a beacon of hope to many, proving that women of color belong at every level of this industry.”
