Latest news with #Flightaware
Straits Times
01-08-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Vietnamese-American female pilot dies in plane crash during solo around-the-world flight
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Anh Thu Nguyen was killed instantly on the morning of July 30 in Greenwood, Indiana. HANOI — A pilot, who wanted to become the first Vietnamese-American to fly solo around the world, has died after her plane crashed in the US. Ms Anh Thu Nguyen, 44, was killed instantly on the morning of July 30 in Greenwood, Indiana, according to the Johnson County Coroner's Office. Driven by her aspiration to become the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo circumnavigation of the globe, Ms Nguyen was in the second leg of her ambitious journey. Flight data from Flightaware shows the plane departed from Indy South Greenwood Airport at 10.45am local time on July 30 and was scheduled to land at an airport in Pennsylvania. However, just minutes after takeoff, her Lancair IV-P aircraft suddenly spiraled downward and crashed. The wreckage was later discovered on a hillside behind a Circle K gas station on Main Street in Greenwood. Frank Williams, a witness at the scene, described the crash as eerily silent. He added: 'There was no explosion, and there was no fire. I pulled right up, and I could smell fuel. As I got close to the plane, I could tell there wasn't a survivor.' The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are currently investigating the crash to determine its cause. Who was Anh Thu Nguyen? Born in Vietnam, Ms Nguyen immigrated to the United States at the age of 12. She earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's in aerospace engineering from Purdue University, followed by a PhD in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). She was passionate about inspiring Asian women to enter the aviation cockpit. '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 once shared with Purdue University. In 2018, she founded the nonprofit organisation Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation Inc., and later served as the chief flight instructor at Dragon Flight Training Academy in Georgia. The idea of becoming the first Vietnamese woman to fly solo around the world took shape in 2019, but it wasn't until July 27, 2025, that she officially launched the journey, flying from Oshkosh, Wisconsin to Indiana. Before departing Greenwood Airport on the day of the tragedy, she posted an inspiring update on her social media: 'I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world. This is more than just a flight. It's a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots and aerospace engineers and STEM professionals.' The heartbreaking accident has left her followers in deep mourning. Comments under her videos on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads are filled with messages of condolence: 'Rest in peace.' VIET NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
USA Today
31-07-2025
- General
- USA Today
Woman who died in Indiana plane crash was trying to fly solo around the world
Anh-Thu Nguyen, 44, wanted to be the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo flight around the world. Her journey ended prematurely after her airplane crashed in Greenwood, Indiana, on July 30. The Johnson County coroner has identified Nguyen, a flight instructor and a Purdue University graduate, as the pilot killed in the small-plane crash. Nguyen was on the second leg of her journey. She left the Indy South Greenwood Airport at 10:45 a.m. and was en route to an airport in Pennsylvania, according to flight records from Flightaware. A few minutes after taking off from the Greenwood airport, Nguyen's 2005 Lancair IV-P was seen spiraling out of the air. The plane ultimately landed on a hill behind a Circle K gas station. Frank Williams, a witness to the crash, said the airplane was quiet as it fell from the sky. "There was no explosion, and there was no fire. I pulled right up, and I could smell fuel. As I got close to the plane, I could tell there wasn't a survivor," Williams said. It's unclear what led to the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. Who was Anh-Thu Nguyen? Nguyen, a 2015 Purdue graduate, wanted to inspire other Asian women to get in the cockpit. She started Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 2018 and became the chief flight instructor at Dragon Flight Training Academy in Georgia. Nguyen was born in Vietnam, moving to the United States when she was 12 years old. She received a bachelor' of science's in math and a master's in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Purdue University. She received a doctoral degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Georgia Institue of Technology. "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. Nguyen originally conceived the idea of becoming the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo flight around the world in 2019, but due to a number of issues, her plans were pushed back. On July 27, 2025, Nguyen officially started the journey when she flew out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, toward Indiana. On July 30, before Nguyen left the Greenwood airport, she posted an update about her journey on social media. "I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world," she said. "This is more than just a flight. It's a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots and aerospace engineers and STEM professionals." Her death has come as a shock to many who were following the start of her journey on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. The comment sections of her videos were filled with "rest in peace" messages. Noe Padilla is a Public Safety reporter for IndyStar. Contact him at npadilla@ follow him on X @1NoerPadilla or on Bluesky @
Indianapolis Star
30-07-2025
- General
- Indianapolis Star
Pilot who died in Indiana plane crash was trying to fly solo around the world
Anh-Thu Nguyen, 44, wanted to be the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo flight around the world. Her journey ended prematurely after her airplane crashed in Greenwood, Indiana, on July 30. The Johnson County coroner has identified Nguyen as the pilot killed in a small-plane crash earlier Wednesday. Nguyen was on the second leg of her journey. She left the Indy South Greenwood Airport at 10:45 a.m. and was en route to an airport in Pennsylvania, according to flight records from Flightaware. A few minutes after taking off from the Greenwood airport, Nguyen's 2005 Lancair IV-P was seen spiraling out of the air. It ultimately landed on a hill behind a Circle K gas station on Greenwood's Main Street. Frank Williams, a witness to the crash, noticed that the airplane was quiet as it fell from the sky. "There was no explosion, and there was no fire. I pulled right up, and I could smell fuel. As I got close to the plane, I could tell there wasn't a survivor," Williams said. It's unclear what led to the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. Earlier coverage: Small airplane crash near I-65 in Greenwood leaves pilot dead Nguyen, a 2015 Purdue University graduate, wanted to inspire other Asian women to get in the cockpit and join her in the sky. Once she became a pilot, Nguyen dedicated her time to paving the way for Asian women who had a passion for aviation. She started Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 2018 and became the chief flight instructor at Dragon Flight Training Academy in Georgia. Nguyen was born in Vietnam, moving to the United States when she was 12 years old. She received a bachelor of science in math and a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Purdue University. She recieved a doctoral degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Georgia Institue of Techonology. "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. Nguyen originally conceived the idea of becoming the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo flight around the world in 2019, but due to a number of issues, her plans were pushed back. On July 27, 2025, Nguyen officially started her journey around the world when she flew out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, toward Indiana. On July 30, before Nguyen left the Greenwood Airport, she posted an update about her journey on her social media accounts. "I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world," she said. "This is more than just a flight. It's a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots and aerospace engineers and STEM professionals." Her death has come as a shock to many on social media who were following the start of her journey, as the comment sections of her videos were folded with "rest in peace" messages.
NBC News
11-07-2025
- Climate
- NBC News
More storms to drench Midwest, hard-hit Texas and New Mexico this weekend
After a week of severe storms that soaked the East Coast and triggered devastating floods in the South, more rain is on the way with a renewed flood threat for still-reeling Texas and New Mexico. Storms are passing through the Midwest, with heavy rain drenching Iowa and parts of Illinois as of Friday morning. Overall, 19 million people are under the threat of hazardous storms capable of impacting major cities, including Kansas City, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Grand Rapids, from northern Missouri into western Michigan. Severe thunderstorms will head east by Saturday, impacting eastern Michigan and parts of northern Indiana. One to two inches of rain is possible as the system tracks east, but some areas could see isolated amounts of three to five inches through the weekend. Friday morning's storms have already impacted travel, causing chaos at airports and prompting caution on roads. As of 8:30 a.m. ET, there's been over 900 flight delays within, into or out of the U.S. and over 280 cancellations, according to Flightaware data. Flood threat will also return to hard-hit Texas and New Mexico, where recovery operations are still underway and soils remain saturated. Catastrophic floods hit central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend that left more than 100 people dead, and historic flash floods hit the remote village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, this week and killed at least three people. In those floods, the Guadalupe River near Kerrville, Texas, surged more than 20 feet in 90 minutes during the storm, washing away roads and inundating homes. In New Mexico, the Rio Ruidoso River rose 18 feet in just 30 minutes, and flooding fell on burn scars from the South Fork and Salt fires that occurred last year. Friday will be a dry day for these states, but thunderstorms will return over the weekend, fueled by abundant Gulf moisture. A slight risk for flooding is in effect for Texas on Saturday, where thunderstorms with heavy rainfall are forecast for the Texas Hill Country. A flood risk is in place from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, into San Angelo and Kerrville, Texas, on Saturday. Thunderstorms will also be possible over New Mexico, including the Ruidoso area. Storms will be a bit more isolated in this area, but there is a heightened risk of burn scar flooding into Sunday morning. Come Sunday, more showers and storms are forecast across the Southern region. Rain has also inundated the East Coast earlier this week, snarling traffic, leading to water rescues, and killing at least two in North Carolina. The Alamance County sheriff's office in North Carolina said two people died in traffic-related incidents after vehicles were swept off the roadway in floods. The U.S. observed at least four 1-in-1,000-year rainfall events in the past week in Texas, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Illinois. Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at the nonprofit organization Climate Central, said that "any one of these intense rainfall events has a low chance of occurring in a given to see events that are historic and record-breaking in multiple parts of the country over the course of one week is even more alarming." Scientists say the climate crisis and a warming planet are fueling heavier rainfall events. A warmer atmosphere can hold more water, making storms capable of dumping huge amounts of rain over land. Studies have shown that for every degree Fahrenheit that the planet heats up, the atmosphere can hold around 3% to 4% more moisture.
Washington Post
09-06-2025
- Washington Post
Small plane carrying six people crashes off the San Diego coast
Authorities were investigating Monday after a small plane carrying six people crashed off the San Diego coast. The twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed at around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, not long after it took off, the Federal Aviation Administration said . The plane was returning to Phoenix one day after flying out from Arizona, according to the flight tracking website
