A YouTuber has admitted to intentionally crashing an aeroplane to make content for his channel.
Trevor Jacob, 29, posted the plane crash video to YouTube in December 2021, implying it was an accident. It has over 2.9 million views to date.
However, according to US prosecutors, Jacob has now agreed to plead guilty to obstructing a federal investigation by cleaning up the site of the crash.
In a plea agreement, he said he filmed the video as part of a product sponsorship deal. He could face up to 20 years in prison for his actions.
The incident occurred in November 2021, when Mr Jacob flew a plane out of Santa Barbara airport with cameras mounted on the aircraft. He took a parachute and a selfie stick, intending to record himself parachuting to the ground and his plane as it descended and crashed.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Mr Jacob did not intend to reach his destination, but rather, he planned to eject from the aeroplane during the flight.
The incident resulted in the plane crashing into the Los Padres National Forest 35 minutes after takeoff. The YouTuber hiked to the site of the crash and recovered the footage.
Some YouTube viewers expressed scepticism of the crash, observing that Mr Jacob was already wearing a parachute and made no attempt to land the aeroplane safely.
Following the crash, Mr Jacob reported the incident to the National Transportation Safety Board, who said he was responsible for preserving the wreckage.
However, according to the plea agreement, Mr Jacob claimed he did not know the location of the site. He later returned to the crash site by helicopter and removed the wreckage, which he then destroyed.
Mr Jacob’s pilot’s license was revoked in 2022.
