A pilot and vlogger, Anh-Thu Nguyen, was killed in a small plane crash in Indiana on Wednesday morning while attempting to recreate her solo flight around the world. The 44-year-old had just completed the first leg of her journey when her aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff in Greenwood.
Witnesses reported that the plane banked oddly after takeoff before plummeting to the ground near a Circle K gas station. Frank Williams, who witnessed the crash, told WTHR: 'I pulled right up to the sight, jumped out of the truck. I could smell fuel and it was smoking. As I got close to the place I could tell there was no survivor.'
Nguyen, who grew up in Vietnam and moved to the US at age 12, had previously completed a solo flight around the world in 2024, becoming the 10th woman to do so. She used her platform to inspire women and girls to pursue their goals, saying in a final video: 'I want to empower you, empower all women, all over the world, to follow your goals in your dreams.'
She was a commercial pilot and flight instructor at Dragon Flight Training Academy in Florida, which she ran with her husband. She also founded the nonprofit Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation, which stated: 'Anh-Thu was an inspiring pilot, instructor, and advocate for girls and women in aerospace and aviation.' The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
