Trevor Jacob, a 29-year-old YouTuber and former Olympic skier, pleaded guilty to a felony count of obstructing a federal investigation by destroying The wreckage of a plane he purposely crashed. Based on US Department of JusticeJacob admitted in the plea agreement that he lied about the plane’s total blackout and crash in order to gain online views and make money.
On November 24, 2021, Jacob took off from Lompoc City Airport in a 1940 Taylorcraft to his scheduled destination of Mammoth Lakes, California. He announced in his YouTube video that he plans to scatter the ashes of Johnny Strange, his late best friend, at Mammoth Lakes. Jacob jumped out of the plane while flying over Los Padres National Forest after 35 minutes of flying. After parachuting to the ground, Jacob walked to the wreckage to collect footage from cameras mounted on the plane.
Two days later, Jacob reported the accident to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The agency quickly launched an investigation and informed Jacob that he was responsible for preserving the wreckage. In the weeks that followed, Jacob lied to investigators that he could not find the crash site.
In early December, Jacobs and a friend flew by helicopter to the location of the wreckage. The couple loaded the wreckage onto a trailer attached to Jacob’s pickup and then towed the rest of the plane to Lompoc City Airport. At the airport, Jacob cuts and destroys as much debris as possible and dumps the debris in the trash around the airport.
Up to 50% Off
Wayfair Grills & More Sale
Cooking up savings
If you want or need a grill to cook up some sizzling steaks or some yummy hamburgers, there’s a deal for you. Wayfair’s Grills and More sale is going on right now, and for the next 5 days, you can save up to 50% off grills from Char-Broil, Weber, KitchenAid, and more.
The crime that Jacob pleaded guilty to carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The Federal Aviation Administration also revoked his pilot’s license in April 2022.
