Renowned Vietnamese-American pilot Anh‑Thu Nguyen, 44, tragically died in a plane crash just minutes after taking off from Indy South Greenwood Airport in Indiana on the morning of July 30, 2025. She was the sole occupant of the Lancair IV‑P aircraft.
What makes the story even more heartbreaking is that Nguyen had just begun her second attempt to fly solo around the world. She departed from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 27, with her next scheduled stop in Pennsylvania.
Moments before the fatal flight, she posted an emotional video on social media:
"I'm super excited today... This is more than just a flight – it's a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian women in aviation and STEM."
She ended with a message that now sounds like a farewell:
"Wish me luck. Thank you, and see you in Pennsylvania."
00:00Hi everyone. I'm super excited today. I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world a few days ago from Oshkosh to Indiana.
00:24This is more than just a flight. It's a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots, aerospace engineers and STEM professionals.
00:41So today I'm going to fly from Indiana to Pennsylvania.
00:50And I'm super excited on this second leg of my journey. And I want to thank SiriusXM for supporting this dream.
01:07Your belief in this mission fuels every single mile that I fly.
01:18And to everyone else watching, I need your help to keep me going.
