US

YouTuber Intentionally Crashed Plane After Parachuting Off. He’s Now Facing 20 Years In Prison

Screenshot/YouTube/ TrevorJacob

Robert McGreevy Contributor
Font Size:

YouTuber Trevor Jacob agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of obstructing a federal investigation for intentionally destroying the wreckage of his plane, according to the US Justice Department.

 The Justice Department says Jacob intentionally crashed his plane and lied to federal investigators about it, according to a press release from the office of the US Attorney of the Central District of California. 

Jacob reportedly struck a plea deal and agreed to plead guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intention to obstruct a federal investigation, according to the release. The crime carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. His plea deal allegedly claims he pulled the stunt as part of a sponsorship deal he had with a wallet company. 

In a 12 minute YouTube video titled “I Crashed My Airplane,” Jacob begins to curse and two minutes into the video he grabs a selfie stick and, with a sports parachute strapped to his back, jumps out.

A minute later, footage from a camera attached to the plane, shows his abandoned Taylorcraft BL-65 crash into the side of a mountain. 

He reportedly informed the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the incident two days after the crash, at which point they launched an investigation, according to the release. Three days later the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opened their own investigation, which led to them revoking Jacob’s pilot’s license in 2022. (Related: 17-Year-Old Becomes Youngest Person To Fly A Plane Solo Around The World)

Jacob claimed to investigators that he did not know the wreckage’s location, but on December 10, 2021 he flew a helicopter to the wreckage site, collected it and disposed of it in spread out trash cans, according to the press release. 

He is expected to appear in court in the coming weeks.