Two employees of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority have been arrested for allegedly leaking surveillance footage of last week’s devastating midair collision over the Potomac River.
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According to the New York Post, Mohamed Lamine Mbengue, 21, and Johnathan Savoy, 45, face computer trespass charges for making unauthorized copies of sensitive records. Two cell phone videos of the mid-air collision, broadcast by CNN, showed different angles of the event. One video showed the Black Hark moving towards the American Airlines jet, while another depicted the impact as the aircraft crashed mid-air.
In response to the broadcast, MWAA launched an internal investigation, leading to the arrest of Mbengue and Savoy. However, officials have not released any further details of how the footage was obtained or leaked. Meanwhile, recovery efforts are still ongoing as a crane was deployed to remove the remains of the American Airlines jet and Black Hawk helicopter from the Potomax River.
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The Black Hawk was carrying Army Capt. Rebecca Lobach, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, and Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara. Among the passengers on the American Airlines flight were members of the tight-knit figure skating community returning home from a major competition.
Investigators are continuing to probe how the tragic collision occurred and aim to prevent future midair disasters.
