YouTuber Influencer Admits to Crashing Plane for Views

Trevor Jacob admits to his crimes under oath.

US prosecutors recently announced that the YouTuber Influencer pilot who intentionally crashed an airplane for YouTube views and clout would plead guilty to obstructing a federal investigation by cleaning up the plane's crash site.

The Federal Aviation Agency previously suspended Jacob's pilot's license following his stunt "to endanger the life or property of another," which is a violation of aviation regulations.

Trevor Jacob Plea Details

Jacob recently pleaded guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation following his arrest after he filmed himself solo jumping from a plane he flew above the Los Padres National Forest in Nov. 2021, per Insider.

You may remember that Trevor uploaded the video he recorded that day to his YouTube channel under "I Crashed My Plane," which has garnered around three million views as of press time.

Initially, Jacob said his 1940 Taylorcraft plane malfunctioned, forcing him to bail out and parachute to safety while the plane crashed into Southern California's Los Padres National Forest. However, he now admits, as part of a plea deal, that he deliberately crashed the plane to gain more YouTube views and make money from the video of the crash as part of a product sponsorship deal.

The US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California added that Jacob didn't intend to reach his destination, Mammoth Lakes, when he flew the plane he crashed from Lompoc City Airport, per the BBC.

Instead, he planned to eject from the plane during the flight and recorded himself parachuting to the ground while watching the plane descend and crash.

Jacob also confessed that he falsified an accident report he filed after the crash and lied to investigators; he hid the location of where the plane crashed and returned there by helicopter with a friend to dismantle it and dump its parts in trash bins, per the DOJ.

Meanwhile, some YouTube viewers were skeptical of the crash, saying that Jacob was already wearing a parachute and made no attempt to land the plane safely if his story was to be believed.

Jacob's new statement contradicts the one he earlier gave in January, where he said that he didn't crash the plane on purpose for views on YouTube. He is expected to make an appearance in court in the coming weeks.

Trevor Jacob's Background

Jacob is not a stranger to stunts such as what he did in Nov. 2021. A quick look at his YouTube channel and you'd find videos of him defying death during a motocross jump and even freight train hopping across America - an act that he got arrested for.

He even participated in an MMA match against David Clark, with the latter winning the match via the former's submission, per Tapology.

However, his main content besides death-defying stunts is skateboarding, a pastime he seems to be passionate about since he considers himself a Pro Skateboarder in one of his 2022 videos.