YouTuber Facing Up To 20 Years In Jail For Staging Plane Crash For Views

A YouTuber who deliberately staged a plane crash for views could face up to 20 years in jail, according to US authorities. Trevor Jacob, 29, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

In December 2021, Jacob crashed a small single-engine plane in California's Los Padres national forest while filming a video for his YouTube channel. The video titled 'I Crashed My Plane' has been seen three million times. In the clip, Jacob can be seen parachuting out of the plane with a selfie stick in hand while cameras placed all over the aircraft show its out-of-control descent into the forest and its eventual crash landing.

The video initially met with skepticism from aviation enthusiasts, who questioned if the crash was a real accident. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revoked Jacob's private pilot certificate and conducted an investigation into the incident. The FAA noted that Jacob made no attempt to contact air traffic control on the emergency frequency, did not attempt to restart the engine, and did not look for a place to land, despite there being multiple areas within gliding range in which he could have made a safe landing. The FAA also discovered that Jacob "recovered and then disposed of the wreckage".

In the plea agreement, Jacob admitted that he never intended to complete his solo flight from Lompoc airport in southern California to Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevada mountains. He is expected to formally enter his plea in Los Angeles in the coming weeks and will be sentenced at a later date.

The case highlights the dangers and consequences of reckless behavior for the sake of internet fame. It also underscores the need for greater responsibility and accountability among content creators on social media platforms like YouTube. 

Key takeaways:

• YouTuber Trevor Jacob could face up to 20 years in jail for staging a plane crash for views on his channel.
• The video, titled 'I Crashed My Plane', has been seen three million times.
• The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revoked Jacob's private pilot certificate and conducted an investigation into the incident.
• Jacob admitted that he never intended to complete his solo flight and will plead guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation.