Footage leak scandal: Airport staff arrested after deadly crash
American media reports that authorities have detained two airport employees in Washington. The reason? They allegedly leaked recordings of the crash involving an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter to CNN journalists. The authorities claim that the footage comes from airport surveillance. The news outlet reported on Friday that it was taken with smartphones.
The aftermath of the crash involving the passenger plane from American Airlines and the Black Hawk helicopter continues to emerge. A total of 67 people perished in the tragic collision, including a Polish woman and her daughter. New recordings from the crash keep appearing online.
Authorities are investigating two videos presented by CNN. Investigators determined that the recordings were made during Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport surveillance. Two airport employees have been detained.
According to ABC News, Mohamed Lamine Mbengue, 21, of Rockville, Maryland, and Jonathan Savoy, 45, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, were accused of making unauthorized backups of the recordings and disclosing them. The tapes were reportedly handed over to journalists. After being questioned in court, the men were released to their homes.
The station reported on Friday that the recordings come from mobile phones. Currently, airport authorities have not commented on the detention of the employees.
What does the disclosed footage show?
The video materials published by CNN show how the tragedy occurred. They depict the Black Hawk helicopter approaching from the left while the Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft heads toward the airport.
Subsequently, the Black Hawk begins to approach the small passenger plane, leading to a collision. Both aircraft plummet into the Potomac River.
