Two airport authority workers are accused of leaking surveillance video of the fatal midair plane and helicopter crash over Washington, DC, to CNN.
The suspects who worked for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) allegedly made an unauthorized copy of records, the New York Post reported Monday.
Both men are facing charges of computer trespass following the collision that happened at Ronald Reagan National Airport.
Video footage shows the horrifying and tragic moment of the crash as a burst of light filled the dark sky:
According to the Post, the issue regarding the two suspects is linked to the video CNN obtained that showed a different vantage point of the incident.
“The Wednesday night collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet killed all 67 people on both aircraft,” the article noted, adding the clips showed a closer look at the collision and were taken on cellphones.
The Post article continued:
Mohamed Lamine Mbengue, 21, of Rockville, Maryland, was charged Friday and Jonathan Savoy, 45, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was charged Sunday, the MWAA said in an email.
Mbengue was booked into Arlington County Adult Detention Center and later released while Savoy was issued a summons by the magistrate and cut loose.
An image shows the suspect identified as Mbengue:
According to a Breitbart News report published on Friday, “American Airlines flight 5342, with 60 passengers and four crew, was in the final minutes of its journey from Wichita, Kansas — where some figure skaters onboard had taken part in a competition and training camp.”
“Meanwhile, a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with three military personnel was flying at the same altitude over the Potomac River during what was described as a routine nighttime training flight,” the report said, noting that military helicopters routinely fly a route over the river near the airport.