Youtuber Admits Planned Plane Crash To Prevent Views | US News
A YouTuber who intentionally crashed a plane to get more views will plead guilty to obstructing a state investigation, prosecutors say.
Trevor Jacob, 29, released video of the crash in December 2021, implying it was an accident.
However, in a consent form, he said he shot the video under a sponsorship deal, the BBC reports.
The video has over 2.9 million views to date.
In November 2021, Jacob departed Santa Barbara Airport in California, USA on a solo flight with cameras attached to his aircraft.
He also took a parachute and a selfie stick with him.
The plane then crashed into Lod Padres National Forest 35 minutes after takeoff.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said Jacobs “did not intend to reach his destination, but planned to exit his plane mid-flight and film himself parachuting to the ground and his plane.” crashes and crashes”.
He then ran to the scene of the accident to retrieve the footage, although he claimed not to know the location of the incident.
After reporting the crash to the National Transportation Safety Board, Jacob returned to the crash site by helicopter and secured and removed the wreckage, which he later destroyed.
The US Department of Justice said Jacob will plead guilty to obstructing a federal investigation by cleaning up the crash site.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Some viewers said they were skeptical of the crash, opining that it made no attempt to land the plane safely and was already wearing a parachute.
Mr Jacob is expected to make his first court appearance in the coming weeks.
His pilot license was revoked last year.
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