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A skilled pilot who vlogged her adventures was killed in a small plane crash in Indiana while she was attempting a globe-spanning journey.
Anh-Thu Nguyen had just finished the first leg of her trip when her plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Greenwood, Indiana, on Wednesday morning.
The 44-year-old pilot was attempting to recreate her successful 2024 solo flight around the world — which made her the 10th woman to complete a globe-spanning solo flight — when the crash occurred.
She was recording her journey and made a video shortly before her crash.
“Hi, everyone. I’m super excited today; I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world,” she said in the video, according to WSVN.
Nguyen used her platform and her feats as a jumping off point for encouraging women to pursue their own journeys and goals. She grew up in Vietnam and moved to the U.S. when she was 12-years-old.
"As an Asian woman, I faced many obstacles and challenges to get to where I am today, especially adapting to a new culture, language, and life in the United States. I wanted to give back and inspire the next generation," she told Purdue University, her alma mater.
She said she hoped her journeys would inspire young women to pursue their own goals with tenacity.
“I want to empower you, empower all women, all over the world, to follow your goals in your dreams,” she said.
Witnesses told WTHR that her plane banked oddly after it took off and then plummeted to the ground near a Circle K gas station.
"I pulled right up to the sight, jumped out of the truck. I could smell fuel and it was smoking," Frank Williams, who witnessed the crash, told the broadcaster. "As I got close to the place I could tell there was no survivor."
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board responded to the crash and are leading the investigation.
Before the crash, Nguyen had flown from Wisconsin to Indiana. Her next leg would have taken her to Pennsylvania.
In addition to vlogging about her trips, Nguyen was also a commercial pilot and had previously worked as a flight instructor at the Dragon Flight Training Academy, which she ran with her husband at in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
She was also the founding president of the Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation nonprofit, which issued a statement following her death.
"Anh-Thu was an inspiring pilot, instructor, and advocate for girls and women in aerospace and aviation. She lived with boldness, curiosity, and drive. She came from humble beginnings to becoming a beacon of hope to many," the nonprofit said. "Those wishing to honor her legacy may make a donation to the 501c3 nonprofit in her name; we will use the funds to continue her dream of helping young girls pursue their dreams."
Nguyen was remembered by her friends in social media posts after news of her death became public.
“She was so full of life and so excited about being only the ninth woman to solo around the world. Too young to be gone so soon," Glenn Stout, a friend and fellow pilot, wrote.
She closed out her final video by encouraging her fans to "keep flying forward together."
“Wish me luck," she said. "Thank you, and let’s keep flying forward together."
