Two employees from the agency responsible for managing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport have been arrested for allegedly leaking surveillance footage related to last week’s fatal midair aircraft collision to CNN.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) confirmed that the staff members are accused of making unauthorized copies of records and are facing charges of computer trespass. Mohamed Lamine Mbengue, 21, from Rockville, Maryland, was charged on Friday, while Jonathan Savoy, 45, from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was charged on Sunday, according to the MWAA. Mbengue was booked into the Arlington County Adult Detention Center and later released, whereas Savoy received a summons from the magistrate and was released shortly thereafter.
The New York Post reports that CNN aired the disturbing video with the new harrowing perspective last week, reporting on Friday that both videos had been captured on cell phones. The exclusive footage offered a clearer, more detailed view of the catastrophe, including one clip showing the helicopter moving swiftly from the left as the American Airlines flight neared the airport. Another short clip depicted the Black Hawk, carrying three soldiers, and the Bombardier CRJ700 approaching each other before colliding and exploding.
The collision occurred on Wednesday night between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet, resulting in the deaths of all 67 individuals on board both aircraft. The military aircraft carried Army Capt. Rebecca Lobach, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, and Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara. The commercial flight was transporting more than a dozen individuals affiliated with the U.S. figure skating community.
The MWAA was established by Congress more than 30 years ago to be responsible for operating both Reagan National and Dulles International airports, and declined to provide additional information on Monday night.
Officials began retrieving wreckage from the American Airlines flight on Monday, following the recovery of most victims’ bodies from the frigid river. Once sections of the aircraft are brought ashore, efforts will focus on recovering the Black Hawk helicopter.
