Miami Pilot Attempting To Fly Around World Dies In Indiana Plane Crash That Nearly Took Out A Gas Station

CBS Miami

Despite several notable exceptions recently, commercialized flights are still incredibly safe. Small planes, connected nan different hand, crash overmuch much frequently. Sadly, yet different mini level clang has claimed nan life of Anh-Thu Nguyen, a Miami-area aviator who past twelvemonth became nan 10th female to alert solo astir nan globe, CBS News reports. Nguyen was reportedly attempting to do it again erstwhile her level went down Wednesday greeting successful Greenwood, Indiana, astir 15 miles extracurricular of Indianapolis. She was 44.

Currently, it isn't clear what caused nan crash, but according to CBS4 Indianapolis, witnesses opportunity "the mini level began making a bid of unusual aerial maneuvers earlier it slammed into a grassy ditch." As 1 witnesser Amanda Landwerlen told nan news outlet, "The level was benignant of banking and they started to little and past pulled up and started to roll, and I thought it's for illustration a entity show and they went consecutive into nan ground." Another witness, Frank Williams said, "She was banking difficult near to spell north, and each of nan sudden, nan chemoreceptor dove and she went into a rotation and conscionable went consecutive down."

As tragic arsenic Nguyen's clang is, it could person besides been overmuch worse. When her level went down, it reportedly deed nan crushed only a fewer feet from a state station. Thankfully, though, it landed acold capable distant that it didn't extremity up causing a secondary detonation aliases declare immoderate different lives. "This could person been a batch worse if they went into nan state station, but there's nary denotation of really nan clang occurred," nan Greenwood Fire Department's Tyler Swardson told CBS4.

Originally calved successful Vietnam, CBS News reports Anh-Thu Nguyen moved to nan U.S. astatine 12, wherever she went connected to be Purdue University, earning her undergraduate grade successful Mathematics and her master's grade in Aeronautics and Astronautics. In 2018, she founded Asian Women successful Aerospace and Aviation, a nonprofit pinch a extremity "to encourage, empower and prosecute nan adjacent procreation of Asian female pilots, aerospace engineers and STEM professionals." In 2020, she besides founded the Dragon Flight Training Academy.

Nguyen had reportedly logged much than 4,000 hours of formation clip and had antecedently worked arsenic a commercialized aviator for Amazon. Last year, she became nan 10th female to ever alert astir nan world, making 25 different stops arsenic she circled nan globe. Following nan news of Nguyen's decease nan AWAA released a statement saying:

We are heartbroken by nan abrupt nonaccomplishment of our beloved friend, founder, mentor, and leader, Anh-Thu Nguyen, who passed distant successful a tragic mishap during her solo travel astir nan world.

Anh-Thu was an inspiring pilot, instructor, and advocator for girls and women successful aerospace, engineering, and aviation. She lived pinch boldness, curiosity, and drive. She came from humble beginnings successful Vietnam to becoming a beacon of dream to many.

Those wishing to grant her bequest whitethorn make a aid to nan 501c3 nonprofit "Asian Women successful Aerospace and Aviation" successful her name; we will usage nan costs to proceed her dream of helping young girls prosecute their dreams and a danasiwa successful her name.