Anh-Thu Nguyen Obituary, Death; Purdue grad killed in Indiana plane crash was attempting solo global flight.
Anh-Thu Nguyen Obituary, Death – Anh-Thu Nguyen, a 44-year-old Purdue University graduate and flight instructor, tragically lost her life in a plane crash on July 30 in Greenwood, Indiana. Nguyen had set out on an ambitious journey to become the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo flight around the world, a dream that ended just after beginning its second leg.
According to the Johnson County Coroner, Nguyen was the pilot of the small aircraft that crashed behind a Circle K gas station on Greenwood’s Main Street. Flight records show she took off from Indy South Greenwood Airport at 10:45 a.m., heading toward an airport in Pennsylvania. However, shortly after departure, her 2005 Lancair IV-P aircraft was seen spiraling downwards before crashing into a hill near the gas station.
Eyewitness Frank Williams, who saw the crash, said the plane descended quietly, without any explosion or fire. “I could smell fuel as I got closer,” he said. “I could tell there wasn’t a survivor.” No one else was injured in the crash.
The cause of the accident is still unknown. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are currently investigating the crash to determine what went wrong.
Nguyen was an experienced aviator and passionate advocate for women, especially Asian women, in aviation. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Purdue, she went on to receive her doctorate in the same field from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She later became the chief flight instructor at Dragon Flight Training Academy in Georgia.
In 2018, Nguyen founded the nonprofit organization Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation Inc. Her mission was to empower and encourage more Asian women to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace, areas where women—particularly women of color—remain underrepresented.
Born in Vietnam, Nguyen moved to the United States at age 12. In an interview with Purdue University, she spoke about the challenges she faced adjusting to a new culture and language and overcoming barriers in a male-dominated field. She said her journey was about giving back and motivating the next generation to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Nguyen had originally planned her solo flight around the world in 2019, but the attempt was delayed due to various obstacles. She officially launched the journey from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 27, 2025. Just three days later, she completed her first leg and posted an optimistic message on social media, stating that the flight was more than a personal goal—it was a mission to inspire young Asian women to dream big.
Her untimely death has left many stunned, especially those following her journey online through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Her social media has since been flooded with messages of mourning and admiration for her courage, vision, and commitment to paving the way for others.
