Hanoi [Vietnam], July 31: American media reported that Vietnamese-American pilot Anh-Thu Nguyen (Nguyen Anh Thu) died after a plane crash in Greenwood, Indiana, USA on July 30.
According to WTHR, the accident occurred at around 10:45 a.m. on July 30 local time, west of Interstate 65 in Greenwood, Johnson County, Indiana.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Indy South Greenwood Airport. Authorities sent rescue teams and police to the scene and found the plane in a ditch behind a gas station.
The Greenwood Fire Department said pilot Anh Thu Nguyen was the only person on board and died at the scene. There were no other casualties on the ground.
The NTSB and the US Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) announced that they had sent a team to the scene to investigate the cause of the incident. On the morning of the accident, Anh Thu posted a video on social media saying that she would fly from Indiana to Pennsylvania, according to WTHR.
IndyStar reported on July 31 that a few minutes after takeoff, Anh Thu's 2005 Lancair IV-P plane spiraled down. A witness named Frank Williams said there was no explosion or fire. "When I got closer, I smelled fuel. I could tell there were no survivors," the witness said.
Nguyen Anh Thu, 44, was born in Vietnam and moved to the United States at the age of 12. She graduated from Purdue University in Indiana . WTHR said she has always been fascinated by "flying machines." In 2020, Anh Thu opened Dragon Flight Academy in Florida. By 2024, Purdue University said she would be the 10th woman to fly solo around the world.
On July 30, the non-profit organization Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation, founded by Anh Thu, posted a statement expressing condolences over the sudden passing of the female pilot.
"Anh Thu is an inspirational pilot, instructor, and advocate for girls and women in the aerospace industry. She lives with boldness, curiosity, and determination. She comes from a poor family in Vietnam and has become a beacon of hope for many," the statement said.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
