In an unsettling twist, a YouTuber, charged with crashing his plane intentionally to boost his views, has conceded to plead guilty to obstructing a federal investigation. This was confirmed by the US Department of Justice.
The reckless quest for views
29-year-old Trevor Jacob is staring at a potential 20-year federal prison term after he intentionally wrecked the small single-engine plane he had crashed in California’s Los Padres national forest in 2021. This information was released in a statement by the US attorney’s office.
Jacob, an alleged experienced pilot and skydiver, filmed and uploaded the crash event on YouTube after parachuting from the plane. Initially, he claimed to investigators that his plane had suffered a power loss, and he was unaware of the wreck’s location. However, aviation experts and federal authorities cast doubts on his narrative after finding out that Jacob made no attempts to contact air traffic control, reignite his engine, or look for a safe landing spot.
A meticulously planned stunt
Jacob confessed in his plea agreement that he never intended to complete his solo flight from Lompoc airport in southern California to Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Before his flight on November 24, 2021, he strategically placed multiple video cameras on various parts of the plane. Armed with a parachute, video camera, and selfie stick, he jumped from the plane about 35 minutes into the flight, capturing the aircraft’s descent into the dry brush below. After landing, he made his way to the crash site to retrieve the footage.
Two days post-crash, Jacob reported the incident to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) but claimed he was unaware of the wreck’s location. Yet on December 10, 2021, Jacob and a friend flew to the crash site, towed the wrecked plane to Santa Barbara county, and stored it in a hangar. Over the course of several days, Jacob destructed portions of the plane and dispersed the parts in trash bins around the airport and other locations in an attempt to mislead investigators.
Aftermath: Pilot license revoked, video goes viral
On December 23, 2021, he posted a video titled “I Crashed My Plane” on YouTube. By April, after uncovering Jacob’s fabrications and obstructions, the FAA revoked his pilot license. Despite the controversy, the crash video has accumulated nearly 3 million views.
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