By Associated Press
Tahlequah, OK – Autopsy found meth in system of helicopter pilot
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The state Medical Examiner's Office says a helicopter pilot had methamphetamine and a painkiller in his system when he crashed in October killing himself and a passenger.
Medical examiner's spokeswoman Cherokee Ballard said Friday the drugs were confirmed in the liver and brain of 26-year-old Mark Mahaney. Mahaney and 20-year-old Darci Scraper died when the helicopter crashed in a field near Tahlequah on Oct. 14.
Mahaney was the grandson of former state Sen. Herb Rozell.
The crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB investigator Jennifer Rodi says a final report including a probable cause of the crash will likely be released late this month or in early April.