WEST DEER (KDKA) — An investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board said he’s confident officials will be able to determine why a small plane went off the runway and crashed in West Deer.

Four people, including two 13-year-old students from Huston Middle School in Lower Burrell, were injured when the accident happened at Rock Airport.

“I think we’ll be able to capture enough data to figure this one out and the airplane may be equipped with newer generation technologies that may have stored data in them,” Brian Rayner, an NTSB official, said.

Two boys remain hospitalized at Allegheny General Hospital. The pilot remains at UPMC Presby. The science teacher was treated and released from AGH.

Rayner said investigators talked to a few witnesses who say the plane left the ground for a short period, perhaps getting 6-feet off the ground before going over the hillside.

“Anytime you have four survivors out of four occupants, it’s a good outcome,” Rayner said.

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