Local Coroner Says James Pedroza Had Cocaine In His System

A student pilot who was one of six people fatally injured in an accident April 9 in Scottsdale, AZ had cocaine in his system at the time of the accident, according to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The agency released information about all six people who were aboard the Piper PA-24 Comanche that went down shortly after takeoff from Scottsdale Airport (KSDL). James Pedroza, 28, was a student pilot and in the left front seat of the airplane, according to the NTSB's preliminary report. Fox News reports that Erik Valente, 26, a certified air transport pilot, was in the right seat. There were four other passengers on board, including Instagram model Mariah Sunshine Coogan, 23 and others recognizable from social media. The flight was headed to North Las Vegas Airport (KVGT), according to the report.

According to the NTSB, a traffic camera, located about 0.5 miles northwest of the end of the departure runway, recorded the airplane in a left bank executing a left turn. As the turn progressed, the bank angle increased, and the airplane started to descend. The wings became nearly vertical, and the view of the airplane was lost behind a berm. Seconds later, the camera caught a fireball when the airplane impacted terrain.

The airplane came to rest in a golf course about ¼ mile north of the end of the departure runway. The main cabin was mostly consumed by fire. The outboard section of the right wing was separated, and in addition to thermal damage, exhibited substantial impact crush damage. The inboard section of the right wing remained attached to the fuselage, and the majority of the left wing was found separated from the fuselage.

It has not been determined whether Pedroza or Valente was flying the plane at the time of the accident.

FMI: Original report, NTSB Preliminary Report