Trevor Jacob seen exiting his plane mid-air citing alleged engine failure. (Image: YouTube)
Jacob’s video titled “I Crashed My Airplane” showed him jumping out with a camera in hand after the plane purportedly experienced engine failure.
The US Justice Department announced on Thursday that a YouTube influencer who staged a fake plane crash in California for a video and then parachuted to safety, agreed to plead guilty to obstructing the investigation by destroying the evidence, news agencies reported.
Trevor Daniel Jacob, along with his attorney, has signed a plea agreement, which was filed in the US District Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday. It is expected that Jacob will appear in court in the next few weeks. Jacob hails from Lompoc, California.
Jacob, a skydiver and experienced pilot, has agreed to plead guilty to obstructing a federal investigation by destroying the wreckage of a plane. This charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The video titled “I Crashed My Airplane” appeared in December 2021 and purported to show Jacob’s small plane having engine failure over the mountainous Los Padres National Forest. Already wearing a parachute, he jumped out with a selfie stick camera in hand.
The cameras mounted on the wing and tail of the plane, as well as the camera carried by the individual, recorded his jump and the aircraft’s crash. Jacob, then, subsequently hiked to the crash site to retrieve the video from the onboard cameras, government officials told the Associated Press.
According to the plea agreement, Jacob had a sponsorship deal to promote a company’s product in a video he would post, and he never intended to complete the Nov. 24, 2021, flight.
According to the US Justice Department, Trevor Daniel Jacob informed federal investigators about the plane crash and was entrusted with the responsibility of preserving the wreckage, but he later lied to investigators by claiming he did not know the location.
In December 2021, Jacob and a friend flew to the site in a helicopter that was used to lift the wreckage and fly it to a trailer attached to his pickup truck, according to the agreement.
They later cut up the plane and disposed of its parts in trash bins.
His pilot licence was revoked by the US Federal Aviation Administration in 2022.
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