Two people who died in a plane crash in Centre County Thursday morning have been identified. 

Gary Orner was the pilot who died, according to Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers. 

The passenger, according to the Pittsburgh Opthamology Society, was Dr. Robert Arffa. 

Both men were from Pittsburgh. 

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday for both men. 

They were riding a Navajo Piper private plane from Washington County, Pa. before crashing into a wooded area one mile east of the University Park airport at about 8:45 a.m. 

Brian Rayner, senior air safety investigator for NTSB, said the pilot was likely performing an instrument approach procedure to land at University Park Airport. 

Attempts by air traffic controllers to reach the pilot were unsuccessful. 

“We’re going to look at the man, we’re going to look at the machine, and we’re going to look at the environment,” Rayner said regarding the investigation. 

A team of FAA and NTSB experts will be on site Friday to examine the wreckage. 
 
Radar reports, weather reports, and witnesses may play a significant role in the investigation, Rayner said. 
 
The investigation could take up to a year to complete, according to Rayner.