Two MWAA Employees Arrested for Leaking Video of DCA Plane Crash to CNN
Recently, two employees at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) have been arrested for leaking a video of an American Airlines passenger jet colliding with an Army helicopter to CNN.
According to Fox 5 DC, Mohamed Lamine Mbengue, a 21-year-old from Rockville, Maryland, was arrested on Jan. 31 and charged with computer trespass under Virginia law. He was booked into the Arlington County Adult Detention Center and later released. Another employee, Jonathan Savoy, 45, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was charged with computer trespass on Feb. 2 and released on a summons.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of additional charges as the investigation continues. It remains unclear whether the employees received compensation for the video or provided it to the news station for free.
The incident in question occurred at Reagan National Airport, where an American Airlines jet collided with a Blackhawk helicopter during landing. The crash resulted in the deaths of all 64 passengers on the jet and the three pilots on the helicopter.
Following the incident, an FAA report indicated that staffing at the DCA Air Traffic Control Tower was not at normal levels, with one controller overseeing both helicopter and airplane traffic. This staffing issue has been ongoing due to aviation staffing shortages exacerbated by diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies implemented during the Obama administration.
Democrats and the media have attempted to shift blame to Trump, despite the long-standing staffing challenges within air traffic control facilities. The FAA has reportedly rejected 1,000 air traffic controller applicants for being ‘too white,’ contributing to staffing shortages in 285 out of 313 facilities.
It was later revealed that one of the Blackhawk helicopter co-pilots was Rebecca Lobach, a White House aide for Joe Biden. Her identity was initially withheld at her family’s request, and her social media accounts were scrubbed before her name was released, sparking speculation about hidden information.
The recent arrests of the MWAA employees in connection with the leaked video raise further questions and concerns among the public about transparency and accountability in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash.
