YouTuber Trevor Jacob admits to crashing plane for views

A YouTuber who intentionally crashed an airplane for views volition plead blameworthy to obstructing a national probe by cleaning up the tract of the crash, US prosecutors say.

Trevor Jacob, 29, posted the video of the level clang to YouTube successful December 2021. It has implicit 2.9 cardinal views to date.

In a plea agreement, helium said helium filmed the video arsenic portion of a merchandise sponsorship deal.

He could look up to 20 years successful prison.

The 29-year-old aviator and skydiver has agreed to plead blameworthy to 1 felony number of demolition and concealment with the intent to obstruct a national investigation, the US justness section said successful a connection connected Thursday.

In November 2021, Mr Jacob near a Santa Barbara, California airdrome connected a solo formation with cameras mounted connected his plane. Along with the cameras, Mr Jacob took a parachute with him, arsenic good arsenic a selfie stick.

He "did not mean to scope his destination, but alternatively planned to eject from his craft during the formation and video himself parachuting to the crushed and his airplane arsenic it descended and crashed", the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said.

The level crashed into the Los Padres National Forest 35 minutes aft takeoff. He hiked to the tract and recovered the footage.

Some YouTube viewers were sceptical of the crash, noting that Mr Jacob was already wearing a parachute and made nary effort to onshore the level safely.

He reported the clang to the National Transportation Safety Board, who said helium was liable for preserving the wreckage. According to the plea agreement, Mr Jacob aboriginal claimed helium did not cognize the determination of the site.

He did, and returned by chopper and secured and removed the wreckage, which helium aboriginal destroyed, the connection says.

Mr Jacob is expected to marque his archetypal tribunal quality successful the coming weeks.

His pilot's licence was revoked past year.

Mr Jacob's lawyer has not responded to the BBC's petition for comment.