- A pair of airport employees were arrested and now face charges of leaking airport security video. The video shows the deadly crash involving an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.
- The two employees were released pending an arraignment hearing.
- It’s unknown how the employees obtained the videos.
Two airport employees were arrested over the weekend of Friday, Jan. 31, on charges connected to leaked airport security video reportedly shown on CNN, also on Friday.
The videos gave different angles and a closer look at the air disaster. CNN further reported that the videos were shot on cellphones.
The arrests of the employees were reported on Monday, Feb. 3, by multiple media outlets.
The pair of employees at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority are reportedly charged with making unauthorized copies of MWAA records, according to a spokesperson with the agency who spoke with USA Today.
What happens next?
The two employees, one of whom is 45 years old and another who is 21 years old, have been released pending an arraignment hearing, which has yet to be set.
Airport officials have not revealed how the videos were obtained by the employees.
Why does it matter?
The crash involving the American Airlines passenger jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter killed all 64 people on the plane and all three servicemembers aboard the chopper. It’s the deadliest air disaster in the United States in more than two decades.
Currently, a federal investigation is underway into the exact cause of the crash.
