YouTuber Trevor Jacob, a 29-year-old California man, is headed to federal prison for up to 20 years over a staged plane crash. He uploaded a video entitled “I Crashed My Airplane” on his YouTube channel back in 2021 that showed what can only be described as a chaotic and dramatic scene.
The video appeared to show Trevor Jacob’s plane stalling in mid-air, causing him to jump out and release his parachute. Multiple cameras were inside and outside of the plane. This camera setup enabled the entire event, from takeoff to crash, to be recorded. Jacob also had a GoPro-style camera facing himself. So his bail from the airplane and parachute release were also captured. The video went viral. All of it was staged.
Maybe this airplane crash stunt would not have been a big deal if not for the deception behind it. There is also the pesky detail of perhaps needing a permit to do such a thing. Trevor Jacob not only misled his audience on YouTube about the true nature of the “crash”, but he also lied to Federal authorities. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) conducted an investigation into the crash. Jacob lied to them about the nature of the event and he also colluded with another person to remove and hide debris from the plane. Jacobs’s poor decision-making process throughout this entire series of events has put him in a space where he is facing up to 20 years in federal prison.
SOURCES:
YouTuber Trevor Daniel Jacob agrees to plead guilty to federal charge after intentionally crashing his plane for online views, DOJ says | CNN
YouTuber Trevor Jacob agrees to plead guilty in staged plane crash – The Washington Post
YouTuber Trevor Jacob admits to crashing plane for views – BBC News
YouTuber who crashed plane admits he did it for money and views | Ars Technica
YouTube Influencer Pilot Admits He Crashed Plane to Get Views: DOJ
