Student Pilot In Fatal Crash Had Cocaine In System: Report

A student pilot sitting in the cockpit of a private plane which crashed in April died with cocaine in his system, according to reports. It is unknown whether he, 28-year-old James Pedroza, or Erik Valente, a 26-year-old certified pilot, was in control at the time.

Pedroza, Valente and four others were killed in the April 9 crash. Investigators said the wings were rocking during the takeoff. It then turned and turned its nose up before beginning to lose altitude and crashing on the Champions Course north of the Scottsdale Airport, according to the Arizona Republic.

"The wings became nearly vertical, and the view of the airplane was lost behind a berm," investigators said, according to Fox. "Seconds later, the camera caught a fireball when the airplane impacted terrain."

The plane, which had six seats, went down with Pedroza and Valente alongside Anand Anil Patel, 28, Helena Lagos, 22, iris Carolina Rodriguez Garcia, 23, and Mariah Sunshine Coogan, 23, all inside, Fox reports. Some were social media celebrities.

Five of the passengers were killed by "blunt-force trauma and burn injuries” due to the crash, Fox reports the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday.

The Republic reported the plane was a Piper PA-24 Comanche.

Below is a video of the flight passengers soon before takeoff:

See AZ Central for more photos.

Article image Pawel Mazur via Shutterstock