GREENWOOD, Ind. — A woman was pronounced dead after a small plane crashed near Interstate 65 and Main Street in Greenwood on Wednesday.
Just before 11 a.m., the small plane began making a series of strange aerial maneuvers before it slammed into a grassy ditch, killing the pilot who was the only person on board.
Multiple witnesses saw the plane lose control before nose-diving into the ground just a few feet behind a gas station.
“The plane was kind of banking and they started to lower and then pulled up and started to roll, and I thought it’s like a sky show and they went straight into the ground,” said witness Amanda Landwerlen.
“She was banking hard left to go north, and all of the sudden, the nose dove and she went into a spin and just went straight down,” said witness Frank Williams.
Williams said he called 911 and ran toward the downed plane, but there was nothing anyone could do to save the pilot’s life.
Officials with the Greenwood Fire Department said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate what may have caused the plane to go down in a busy area, located a mile southeast of the Indy South Greenwood Airport.
“This could have been a lot worse if they went into the gas station, but there’s no indication of how the crash occurred,” said Tyler Swardson with the Greenwood Fire Department.
A plane crash in Greenwood claimed 1 life on July 30, 2025.
Photo from a nearby business of the reported Greenwood Plane Crash – provided to FOX59/CBS4 by a viewer.
Photo from a nearby business of the reported Greenwood Plane Crash – provided to FOX59/CBS4 by a viewer.
A plane crash in Greenwood claimed 1 life on July 30, 2025.
A plane crash in Greenwood claimed 1 life on July 30, 2025.
The Johnson County Coroner’s Office has identified the pilot as 44-year-old Anh-Thu Nguyen of Miami, Florida.
Nguyen founded Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation (AWAA) in 2018. According to its website, AWAA is an organization that aims to “encourage, empower and engage the next generation of Asian female pilots, aerospace engineers and STEM professionals.”
“We are heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend, founder, and leader, Anh-Thu Nguyen, who passed away in a tragic accident during her solo journey around the world,” AWAA leadership wrote in a statement. “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.
“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.”
According to a source with the Experimental Aircraft Association — which runs an annual aircraft show called EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin — Nguyen had over 4,000 hours of flight time. She had served as a commercial pilot, flown for Amazon and spent time as a flight instructor.
The same EAA source indicated that Nguyen attended this year’s AirVenture event — which ended on Sunday — with AWAA. Nguyen had flown to Greenwood from Wisconsin before she crashed.
Nguyen was also a Purdue University alum. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in math in 2013 and a Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2015.
According to Purdue’s website, Nguyen became just the 10th woman to fly solo around the world in 2024. She was embarking on a similar journey when her plane crashed in Greenwood on Wednesday, according to a post she made on her Instagram account.
Per Purdue University, Nguyen grew up in Vietnam and moved to the U.S. when she was 12 years old.
Witnesses say the crash is a reminder that life’s plans can change in a split second.
“Life is frail. You never know when things are going to happen,” said Williams.
“Oh, it’s a terrible terrible tragedy. I’ve never seen anyone pass. My heart breaks for their family. I hope they find some peace that the person did try not to hit other buildings,” said Landwerlen.
