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Doctor, pilot ID'd as killed in plane crash near Penn State

BENNER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A laser eye surgeon and a White Oak man have been identified as the two people killed Thursday when a plane owned by an air ambulance company crashed while preparing to land at a Penn State University-operated airport.

Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers identified the pilot as Garry Orner, of White Oak. Sayers was waiting for dental information to confirm the identity of the passenger, but Nittany Eye Associates & Laser Eye Center confirmed Friday that the deceased passenger was Dr. Robert Arffa.%

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The medical group said Arffa had traveled from Pittsburgh to State College once a month to perform eye surgeries for the last 15 years, and released the following statement:

"Robert Arffa, M.D., noted corneal specialist and LASIK surgeon, was in a plane that crashed during landing yesterday at University Park Airport. There were no survivors. As he has done for every month in the last fifteen years, Dr. Arffa was traveling from Pittsburgh to State College to perform LASIK and YAG laser procedures at Nittany Eye.
 
“We, at Nittany Eye, are devastated by this news. Dr. Arffa was a world-class surgeon. He was also a world-class friend to all who knew him.
 
“We deeply appreciate the exceptional care you have provided to our patients, Dr. Arffa, and we will miss you tremendously."

Channel 11 News learned that Arffa’s main office was in Bridgeville on Washington Pike, and he also saw patients in Sewickley.

The Federal Aviation Administration identified the plane as a Piper Navajo that left Washington County earlier Thursday. The Federal Aviation Administration said the Piper PA31 crashed a mile east of the airport.

Channel 11's Cara Sapida reported that the plane was owned by Aero National Inc., which is a company headquartered out of the Washington County Airport that operated ambulance charter flights. So far, Aero National Inc. had not responded to calls for comment.

The airport was closed after the crash but reopened at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

The airport director said air traffic controllers received no distress calls, nor did they see the plane make any unusual motions before it crashed.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.

A small, experimental aircraft crash-landed at the same airport eight days ago. The pilot in that incident was not injured.

Cox Media Group

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