“Looks like I’m gonna have to jump!”
Back in 2021, YouTuber Trevor Jacob uploaded a video in which, due to an engine failure, he had to bail out of his single-engine plane during a flight over the Sierra Nevada mountains. The plane itself crashed in the Los Padres National Forest in Southern California, with Jacob hiking several miles before finally being rescued by a passerby.
The problem, however, is that the entire thing was deliberate, and the Federal Aviation Administration is not happy.
Things started to kick off when Jacob posted the video of the event. Commenters noted the massive number of red flags in the video: he doesn’t bother to try restarting the engine, call for help or look for a safe landing spot. He also seemed to already be wearing a parachute, and despite his visible panic, sure didn’t seem to forget his selfie stick. Oh, and the large number of cameras mounted on the plane probably doesn’t help his case.
Honestly, so many red flags here. Nothing makes sense in the context of a genuine engine failure. Totally unbelievable reaction, bad acting, no attempt to resolve the failure despite a suspiciously high cruise altitude. Just straight to jumping out into prolonged freefall with a skydiving rig and selfie stick. Also seems to have trimmed nose down to guarantee a high speed crash not too far away.
Torque_Tonight on Reddit
The whole think stinks and epitomises everything I hate about youtube celeb / influencer wankers. Even if it was genuine, using your friend’s death to promote selling wallets… absolute human garbage. But I don’t believe any of it. It’s probably just sand in the bag.
Just imagine if the craft had hit some unsuspecting camper/hiker or motorist.
I hope the aviation community lights this guy up and makes it, at the very least, very difficult for him to fly again.
Woozuki on Reddit
April 2022 saw the FAA revoke Jacob’s pilot’s license, claiming he had acted in a “careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another,” and suspecting the entire stunt had been staged. Per the New York Times:
You demonstrated a lack of care, judgment and responsibility by choosing to jump out of an aircraft solely so you could record the footage of the crash. Your egregious and intentional actions on these dates indicate that you presently lack the degree of care, judgment and responsibility required of a certificate holder.
Federal Aviation Administration
To compound things, Jacob tried to cover it all up. instead of immediately going to call for help, he instead hiked over to the crash area to retrieve the footage from the cameras mounted on the plane. He reported the crash to the National Transportation Safety Board, and lied about knowing where the wreckage was. He then went with a friend to tow the wreck back to a hanger, where they proceeded to dismantle it over the course of several days, stuffing parts into trash bins all over the airport. You know, kind of like that episode of Archer where they have Krieger dispose of a dead body, only not amusing.
Naturally, this all prompted an investigation by the Department of Transport, with aid from the FAA and NTSB (neither of the latter having bought Jacob’s story from the getgo). Jacob fessed up once he was found out, making a plea deal with the US Department of Justice. Naturally, that deal probably isn’t very good, at least for him, as he’s facing up to 20 years in prison on one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation.
The kicker? The entire stunt was for a sponsorship deal with an unnamed company, for the promotion of a wallet. One does have to wonder how the value of this sponsorship stacks up to the cost of wrecking a plane (the pursuant legal charges aside). Needless to say, it’s hard to imagine it’s worth it in hindsight.
Source: PC Gamer
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