Authorities have identified the two people who died last week when their Cessna 172 airplane crashed into a hillside off of Highway 62 near Morongo Valley.

The pilot was identified as Jungho Ju, a 32-year-old Korean national, according to the Riverside County Coroner's office. His passenger was Jaeryung Rachel Park, a 28-year-old Los Angeles woman.

Both were pronounced dead 12:54 a.m. Wednesday.

The plane departed San Gabriel Valley Airport about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday for North Las Vegas Airport. It crashed about 6:15 p.m. in an area that's about 12 miles north-northwest of the Palm Springs International Airport.

FAA records show the plane was registered to Flying Academy Los Angeles in Corona, but a woman at the academy declined to comment Wednesday when reached by The Desert Sun.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and spokesman Terry Williams said it could take more than a year before a cause is determined.

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A winter storm warning was in place Tuesday night and wind gusts reached about 50 mph near Morongo Valley at the time of the crash, according to the National Weather Service.

Officials on Wednesday said it was too early to say if wind was a factor.

The crash followed another one involving a Cessna 414A that crashed into a Yorba Linda home on Sunday, killing four people inside. The pilot, Antonio Pastini, also died.

At least four other fatal airplane crashes have occurred near the Coachella Valley over the past five years.

Desert Sun reporter Colin Atagi covers crime, public safety, and road and highway safety. He can be reached at Colin.Atagi@desertsun.com or follow him at @tdscolinatagi