Reagan Airport Staff Arrested for Allegedly Leaking Deadly Crash Footage to CNN [WATCH]

Authorities have arrested two Washington, D.C., airport employees accused of leaking surveillance footage of last week’s devastating midair collision between an American Eagle flight and a Black Hawk helicopter, as reported by The Blaze.

Meanwhile, federal investigators are piecing together the tragic incident that left 67 people dead.

Two Maryland men are now facing charges of computer trespass for allegedly providing CNN with security footage from the moment of impact.

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed the arrests, identifying the suspects as 21-year-old Mohamed Lamine Mbengue of Rockville and 45-year-old Jonathan Savoy of Upper Marlboro.

Mbengue was taken into custody Friday, while Savoy was arrested on Sunday. Both were later released from Arlington County Adult Detention Center. Authorities have remained tight-lipped on how they acquired the footage or how it was distributed.

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CNN aired the footage Friday, with anchor Kate Bolduan acknowledging it “appears to be surveillance video from the airport.” The clip provided the most detailed view yet of the moment the two aircraft collided and then plunged into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport.

New footage of the Blackhawk helicopter crashing into the plane in DC from CNN.

pic.twitter.com/PRDh7Fmzz0

— Bruce (@bruce_barrett) January 31, 2025

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) provided an update Tuesday, stating that initial data indicates the Army Black Hawk was likely flying too high when the crash occurred.

According to flight records, the helicopter was at 300 feet—100 feet above the designated ceiling for flights in the National Capital Region.

The NTSB emphasized that this is preliminary information and will require further verification. The agency also noted a sudden pitch change in the airliner’s trajectory, suggesting the pilot attempted to climb before the fatal impact.

“NTSB investigators continue to transcribe the cockpit voice recorders for both aircraft,” the agency stated. “Synchronization work for the Black Hawk flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder is ongoing.”

By Tuesday afternoon, recovery teams had successfully retrieved the remains of all 67 victims from the crash—64 passengers and crew from the airliner and three military personnel aboard the helicopter.

Efforts are now underway to remove the wreckage of the CRJ700 jet and the Black Hawk from the Potomac.

The same Navy unit assisting in this recovery also worked on clearing debris from last year’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, according to Col. Francis Pera of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

In response to the crash, authorities have placed tighter restrictions on helicopter operations near Reagan National Airport.

This disaster marks the deadliest domestic plane crash in nearly two decades, compounding an already troubling year for air travel safety.

Just two days after this collision, a small medical plane crashed into a northeast Philadelphia neighborhood, killing all six passengers on board and a bystander on the ground. Additionally, 22 people were injured in the aftermath.

Concerns over air safety continue to escalate. On Sunday, a United Airlines flight was forced to abort a “high-speed” takeoff in Texas after an engine caught fire. Fortunately, all 104 passengers and crew evacuated safely.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged the distressing pattern, stating, “We’ve had a heart-wrenching week in aviation.” He promised grieving families transparency as investigations continue.