1 of 2 Trevor Jacob parachuted. from a solo flight over the Los Padres Mountains of California in 2021 Photo: Trevor Jacob Trevor Jacob parachuted. of a solo flight over the Los Padres Mountains of California in 2021 Photo: Trevor Jacob
A youtuber who intentionally shot down a plane while looking for prospects On the platform, he will plead guilty to obstructing a federal investigation by cleaning up the crash site, the US Department of Justice said.
Pilot and skydiver Trevor Jacob, 29, posted the video of the plane crash on YouTube in December 2021, suggesting that it was an accident. So far it has over 2.9 million views.
In a court settlement, he said he shot the video as part of a product endorsement deal.
He face up to 20 years in prison.
Jacob agreed to plead guilty The U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement Thursday the allegations of destruction and concealment with intent to obstruct a federal investigation.
In November 2021, Jacob launched a solo flight with cameras attached to his plane at an airport in Santa Barbara, California. In addition to the cameras, Jacob took with him a parachute and a selfie stick.
He “had no intention of achieving his goal — instead, he planned to exit the plane midflight and film himself skydiving and his plane as the plane crashed and collided,” US Attorneys told the Central District of California.
2 of 2 Jacob jumps out of the plane before the crash. — Photo: Trevor Jacob Jacob jumps out of the plane before the crash. — Photo: Trevor Jacob
The plane crashed into Los Padres National Forest 35 minutes after takeoff. Jacob went to the location and picked up the footage.
Some YouTube viewers were skeptical of the crash, noting that Jacob was already using a parachute and made no attempt to land the plane safely.
He reported the accident to the National Transportation Safety Board, who said he was responsible for preserving the wreck. As part of the plea agreement, Jacob later stated that he did not know the location of the accident.
Not only did he know, he returned there by helicopter, picked up and removed the debris, which he later destroyed, the statement said.
Jacob is expected to appear in court for the first time in the coming weeks.
His pilot license was revoked last year. Jacob’s lawyer did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.