 "The two aircraft crashed Wednesday evening as the airliner was on final approach to Reagan National Airport. Source: U S Coast Guard")
Two staffers of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) have reportedly been arrested over allegations that they handed over surveillance footage of last week’s deadly midair aircraft collision to news broadcaster CNN. The agency said Monday (February 3) that the two employees were facing computer trespass charges, reported New York Post.
Washington DC was rocked by a fatal crash last Wednesday (January 29) when 67 people lost their lives following a collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger.
Chilling video accessed by CNN
The CNN accessed chilling videos of the horrific incident over the last week with new vantage point, giving a closer look at the crash. One of the clip showed the military helicopter appearing on the left side as the passenger aircraft prepared for landing at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Another clip showed the Black Hawk helicopter flying fast towards the Bombardier CRJ700 just before smashing into each other. According to the Post, both videos were recorded in mobile phones.
Who are the employees charged?
The Post reported, citing a mail by the MWAA, that amongst those arrested was 21-year-old Mohamed Lamine Mbengue of Rockville Maryland and 45-year-old Jonathan Savoy of Upper Marlboro.
The airport authority didn’t release more details.
It must be noted that the Congress created the authority more than 30 years back, which remains responsible for operating Reagan National and Dulles International airports.
Most human remains recovered from Potomac River
Meanwhile, emergency responders have recovered most of the human remains from the icy waters of Potomac River. Officials revealed that at least 55 of the 67 victims have been found and identified.
Additionally, the operation to remove the plane wreckage from the waters is expected to continue for several days.
The crash has been termed as the deadliest air disaster in the US history since 2001. Washington, DC Fire Department Assistant Chief Gary Steen recently expressed confidence in a press conference that all victims would be located, while confirming that nobody survived the Wednesday collision.
With inputs from agencies