NTSB releases preliminary report on deadly plane crash in Greenwood

GREENWOOD, Ind. — The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report detailing its findings related to a deadly plane crash that occurred in Greenwood a month ago.

According to previous reports, a small plane crashed near Interstate 65 and Main Street just before 11 a.m. on July 30.

Multiple witnesses told FOX59/CBS4 at the time that they observed the plane’s pilot lose control moments before the plane slammed into the ground near a gas station in the area. The site of the deadly crash was located a mile southeast of the Indy South Greenwood Airport.

What does the report say?

While the NTSB report provided some new details regarding the duration of the trip and the pilot’s actions moments before the crash occurred, it does not provide any information regarding what may have caused the crash.

The report noted that, shortly after departing from the Indy South Greenwood Airport at 10:46 a.m., the airplane’s pilot began a climbing left turn. The plane continued turning in that direction for approximately 30 seconds before a “rapid descent” was recorded to the right.

“The total duration of the flight from the beginning of the takeoff roll was about 1 minute 30 seconds,” the report said.

The report also noted that all engine readings came back as steady. This included the power application during the initial takeoff and continued as the pilot was decreasing in her turn when the plane suddenly dropped to the right.

What we know about the pilot

Officials soon identified the deceased pilot as 44-year-old Anh-Thu Nguyen of Miami, Florida. Previous reporting said she founded Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation in 2018.

Before the incident, Nguyen had recorded over 4,000 hours of flight time and worked as a commercial pilot and flight instructor. Nguyen was a Purdue University alum.

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, according to a post she made on her Instagram account.

Nguyen grew up in Vietnam before she moved to the United States when she was 12 years old.