Taylorcraft BL65, the model of plane used CC BY-SA 3.0, via wikimedia commons
General
Aviation
/ USA
It's serious
Youtuber faces 20 years in jail for obstructing investigation after causing accident
By: Rafael Ramos
On: 5/12/2023
The moment before the crash
Image: Youtube
The US Department of Justice announced on Thursday that a YouTube influencer who staged a fake California plane crash and then parachuted to safety faces up to 20 years in prison.
What happened is that youtuber and pilot Trevor Daniel Jacob took off from California in November 2021, but the flight ended in a pilot ejection and plane crash.
When the youtuber reported the accident to the authorities, he stated that he was forced to eject because of mechanical problems with the single-engine aircraft he was on. The accident prompted the opening of an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
But Jacob's explanation was a lie. The truth is, he intentionally jumped in, filming the act, to post it on his YouTube channel and earn money and views. The video, titled “I crashed my airplane”, already has over 3 million views.
The pilot, Trevor Jacob, agreed to plead guilty on Thursday to a criminal charge of "obstructing a federal investigation by deliberately destroying the wreckage of a plane he intentionally shot down in Santa Barbara County to obtain online views," according to with the US Attorney's Office, Central District of California.
That offense is classified as "destruction and concealment with intent to obstruct a federal investigation" and carries up to 20 years in prison.
Jacob's pilot's license was revoked by the FAA.
Taylorcraft BL65, the model of plane used
CC BY-SA 3.0, via wikimedia commons
Rafael Ramos
Aviation enthusiast from an early age, he had his first contacts with the area developing that good old habit of spending dozens of hours in front of the screens of Micrsoft Flight Simulator and other simulators. With a solid background in various technological areas, including engineering and chemistry, Rafael has rejoined aviation as editor and author of articles and materials on our portal, providing invaluable help to the dynamics and expansion of the website and the aeronautical community, bringing us the news and updates so indispensable for us to remain current in our area of operation.
   
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