Airport Authority Employees Arrested for Allegedly Leaking Plane Crash Footage

Two airport employees face charges for leaking footage of the devastating plane/helicopter collision in Washington, DC.

Key Takeaways

Two Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority employees were arrested for leaking crash footage to CNN.
The leaked video showed the collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet, which resulted in 67 fatalities.
The crash is the deadliest in the U.S. in over two decades, prompting a federal investigation

Airport Employees Arrested for Leaking Collision Footage

Two employees of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) have been arrested for allegedly leaking footage of a deadly midair collision to CNN.

Mohamed Lamine Mbengue, 21, and Jonathan Savoy, 45, both employees of MWAA, were charged with computer trespass, a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia. The charges stem from their alleged unauthorized copying and dissemination of airport surveillance footage showing the tragic collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet over the Potomac River.

Both individuals were released after being arrested, Mbengue on his own recognizance and Savoy on a summons from a magistrate.

Two employees of the authority that manages Ronald Reagan International Airport were arrested for allegedly leaking surveillance footage of the deadly midair collision involving an American Airlines passenger jet and a black hawk helicopter to CNN. https://t.co/Hd9tXN5CGR

— NewsRadio WHAM 1180 (@WHAM1180) February 4, 2025

Deadly Collision Captured on Leaked Video

The leaked footage provided a chilling new perspective on the catastrophic event that claimed 67 lives, making it the deadliest air crash in the United States in over two decades. The video, which first appeared on CNN, offered what the network described as “a more direct angle and vantage point” of the collision.

The crash, which occurred on January 30, 2025, as the American Airlines jet was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, resulted in the deaths of all 64 passengers and crew on the commercial flight and the three Army personnel aboard the helicopter. Recovery efforts for the wreckage and victims’ bodies are ongoing, with authorities having identified the remains of 55 victims thus far.

Ongoing Investigation and Recovery Efforts

As the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its investigation into the cause of the crash, crews are working tirelessly to remove the wreckage of both aircraft from the Potomac River. The incident has not only devastated families of the victims but has also deeply affected the nation, highlighting the critical importance of air traffic safety,