Trevor Jacob: YouTuber admits to crashing plane for views, destroys it before investigation
A YouTuber and a former pilot, Trevor Jacob has been arrested for crashing a plane. He wrecked his 1940 Taylorcraft BL-65 and then crashed the plane before federal investigators could examine the wreckage to identify the cause.
Jacob is most known for his thrilling YouTube videos in which he performs hazardous exploits such as snowboard leaping near a freight train and hitching in a big truck. He's gotten in trouble before for his antics, and the plane incident is the latest in a long line of legal troubles.
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'I crashed my airplane'
In the video 'I Crashed My Airplane,' Jacob shows himself panicked as his plane's engine appears to fail while he is flying above a mountain range. He then jumped out of the plane with a parachute and continued shooting as he traveled to the accident scene and drank by a brook.
This prompted a government investigation into Jacob's involvement in the incident, which found that the YouTuber took a solo flight from Lompoc City Airport to Mammoth Lakes in November 2021, but claimed that he didn't intend to arrive.
Instead, he deliberately crashed the plane for his film, as shown by the multiple video cameras he mounted to the vehicle prior to takeoff. He also allegedly lied to federal investigators about the wreckage's location and attempted to destroy the remaining debris.
Trevor Jacob crashed the plane to get views
According to a statement issued by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of California, Jacob pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of hindering a federal investigation by destroying the wreckage of the plane he purposely crashed to get views. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also canceled his pilot license in April 2022, Gamerant reported.
A plea deal was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and he is anticipated to appear in court in the coming weeks. If convicted, Jacob may face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, joining the ranks of YouTubers who have been imprisoned.
As of the moment, Jacob's YouTube video has received numerous angry comments from those who heard of his imprisonment. The bulk of them expressed their dissatisfaction with his behavior, accusing him of putting others at risk in order to earn millions of views.
