Video planned for promotional deal
Youtuber admits intentional plane crash
05/12/2023 3:24 p.m
Youtuber Trevor Jacob jumps out of a plane, apparently there is a problem with the propeller. Several cameras record him – the video generates millions of clicks. The pilot initially insists that it was an accident. Now he admits how it really came to the crash.
Many Internet stars work hard for clicks, likes and good advertising deals. Daring videos on social media have long been nothing unusual, as they are a sure way of getting the attention of the many followers. In December 2021, the American YouTuber Trevor Jacob took this principle to the extreme: In order to increase the number of clicks for his videos, the 29-year-old crashed a plane. Jacob has now confessed to the federal court in Los Angeles.
His plan initially seems to be working – his contribution “I Crashed my Airplane” is clicked around three million times, the majority of his videos only receive a fraction of this number of clicks. The video shows Jacob, an experienced pilot and skydiver, in his Taylorcraft BL-65 light aircraft. At first everything looks like a normal flight: Jacob starts the plane from a small airport in California, shows his viewers the blue sky and holds his thumb out for the camera – everything goes according to plan.
Just a little later, around minute one of the video, there were suddenly problems with the machine’s propeller. These don’t seem to work anymore. The pilot is currently in Sierre Nevada, California. He now panics, curses and opens the door of the plane several times. Shortly thereafter, Jacob throws himself headfirst out of the plane. He has already strapped on a backpack with a parachute. The spectators see the scene from two different angles, because the machine is equipped with cameras in many places.
doubts about misfortune
Rapid scene changes follow: The video shows Jacob opening his parachute and the plane crashing into the mountains without a pilot. In the last part of the almost 13-minute video, the Youtuber runs through the wilderness, looks for the wreck and finally meets people who take him in their car.
At first glance, everything looks like a tragic accident and good luck in misfortune, but the premonition quickly germinates that Jacob himself could have something to do with the incident. He only staged the crash, accuse him first of all of amateur pilots on the Internet and finally also the US aviation authority FAA. The YouTuber loses his pilot’s license for violating US aviation regulations.
At the time, the “New York Times” quoted from a letter from the authority to Jacob. He did not attempt to contact air traffic control, restart the engine, or glide to land the aircraft. Jacob himself countered at the time: “I’m happy to say that I didn’t intentionally crash my plane to be seen on YouTube.”
Prosecutor announces confession
The internet star stuck to that statement – until now. The Californian public prosecutor’s office announced that Jacob was ready to “pled guilty”. He admitted to lying to the authorities. Accordingly, he filed an accident report in which he incorrectly stated that the plane suffered a complete loss of power 35 minutes after takeoff. He also obstructed the investigation by having the wreckage picked up by helicopter and then destroying it, although he claimed not to have found the aircraft parts in the mountains.
The reason for the life-threatening action: Jacob wanted to use the video for an advertising deal with a company that manufactures wallets. He “admitted in his statement that he wanted to make money with the video,” according to the authority. For this he tried to generate the largest possible number of “online viewers”.
The video brought him three million clicks – and possibly a long prison sentence. Prosecutors said it was a criminal offense punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. It is expected that Jacob will appear in court for the first time “in the coming weeks”.
2023-05-12 15:00:36
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