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US authorities have arrested two employees from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority after they allegedly leaked a video of the midair collision between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet near Reagan National Airport.
Some shit you should know before you read: Last week, a US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with American Airlines Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ700 passenger jet, near Reagan Washington National Airport, sending both aircraft into the Potomac River in one of the deadliest air disasters in decades. The commercial flight carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while the military helicopter had three Army soldiers on board—resulting in 67 fatalities with no survivors. The crash occurred during a nighttime training mission, though authorities have not yet determined the exact cause. Investigators are currently exploring air traffic control miscommunication and possible pilot error as leading theories, while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its probe into the circumstances surrounding the collision.
What’s going on now: Authorities arrested Mohamed Lamine Mbengue, 21, and Jonathan Savoy, 45, both employees of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), for allegedly leaking official airport footage of the midair collision. Both men were charged with computer trespass, a misdemeanor, for making an unauthorized copy of Airports Authority records. Mbengue was arrested on January 31 and briefly detained before being released on his own recognizance, while Savoy was arrested on February 2 and released on a summons by a magistrate.
The leaked video, which was aired on CNN, captured the moment the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 in midair. The footage has since gone viral, though it remains unclear whether the employees sold the video or provided it for free. Law enforcement agencies are still determining how the video was leaked and whether any further legal action will be taken against others involved in its release.
