A YouTuber, Trevor Jacob, received a six-month jail term for intentionally crashing his plane to garner views, subsequently lying to US investigators about the incident.
In December 2021, Jacob posted a video of the crash, suggesting it was accidental, where he ejected from the plane, equipped with a selfie stick, and parachuted down.
Admitting to filming the crash as part of a product sponsorship deal, Jacob pleaded guilty to a felony count of destruction and concealment to obstruct a federal investigation.
Federal prosecutors in California highlighted his motive, stating, “Nevertheless, this type of ‘daredevil’ conduct cannot be tolerated.”
Acknowledging the sentence as the “right decision,” Jacob expressed humility about the experience.
He took off from a Santa Barbara airport with cameras on his plane, intending to eject mid-flight, capture the parachute descent, and film the plane’s crash, per the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The plane crashed into the Los Padres National Forest after 35 minutes, and Jacob recovered the footage, later uploading it to YouTube titled “I crashed my airplane,” incorporating a wallet company promotion.
Some viewers questioned the crash’s authenticity, noting Jacob’s pre-equipped parachute and absence of attempts to land safely.
Initially reporting the crash to the National Transportation Safety Board and claiming ignorance of the crash site’s location, Jacob eventually located it, removed the wreckage by helicopter, and destroyed it, according to the plea agreement.
The video amassed nearly three million views before its removal.
Source-BBC
