Purdue Alumna and Adventurous Aviator Becomes 10th Woman to Fly Solo Around the World

Anh-Thu Nguyen, a 44-year-old pilot from Miami, died in a plane crash on Wednesday morning behind a Circle K gas station in Greenwood. She was the founder of an Asian female pilots association and a Purdue graduate who had achieved the rare feat of flying solo around the world - again.

From war-torn village to big dream come true

Nguyen founded the Asian Women in Aerospace & Aviation, an organization dedicated to encouraging and empowering the next generation of Asian female pilots, aerospace engineers, and STEM professionals. According to her social media, her path to becoming a pilot started as a simple dream while growing up in Tuy-Hoa, Vietnam.

Nguyen's family immigrated to America at age 12, living in poverty with no support system. Despite discouragement from flight instructors, she kept pursuing her dream and eventually graduated valedictorian from high school and earned a B.S. in math and Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University.

Nguyen became the 10th female pilot to fly solo around the world in 2024. She told Purdue that she "longed to have that experience of flying and controlling a plane, of feeling small and vulnerable yet at the same time so powerful."

'This is more than just a flight'

Nguyen's 2025 flight was a six-year journey in the making. Her most recent social media post showed her preparing to take off from the cockpit. She said, "This is more than just a flight, okay? This is a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots and aerospace engineering professionals."

Nguyen's 2024 trip consisted of 25 stops, but it was unclear how many places her 2025 journey would take her.