Officials arrested two Maryland men after they allegedly leaked video of the deadly midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to the media, according to a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Mohamed Lamine Mbengue, 21, of Rockville, and Jonathan Savoy, 45, of Upper Marlboro, were charged with computer trespass for making an unauthorized copy of MWAA records. Mbengue and Savoy are both airport authority employees. It’s not clear how Mbengue and Savoy obtained or distributed the footage.
A video of the midair collision between the American Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter was shared widely by news outlets and on social media. The crash, which killed 67 people, is the deadliest aviation disaster in a generation.
Airport authority officials did not specify how the footage was obtained or distributed.
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Mbengue was charged on Jan. 31 and booked into the Arlington County Adult Detention Center. He was released on his own recognizance. Savoy was charged on Feb. 2, then later released on a summons.
The more than a dozen Marylanders confirmed dead come from a wide range of backgrounds, from the southern to central regions of the state. They were hunters, figure skaters, company executives and members of the military.
The collision remains under investigation.
Authorities had recovered the remains of all 67 victims from the Potomac River as of Tuesday. They hope to recover the Black Hawk helicopter later this week.
The National Transportation Safety Board also said crews recovered several parts of the plane on Tuesday, including the right wing, part of the left wing and significant portions of the forward cabin and cockpit.
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The recovered wreckage will be moved to a secure location, according to the NTSB.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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