Man Crashes Unwanted Aircraft

[FD2]

Olympic snowboarder turned YouTuber is investigated by FAA for 'crashing his plane for clicks': Suspicious video shows vlogger parachuting out of camera-laden aircraft before letting it crash into hills https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... licks.html

Olympic snowboarder Trevor Jacob, 28, is the subject of NTSB and FAA investigation after November 24 small plane crash in California mountains
Jacob caused a stir when he posted video last month showing him parachuting out of TaylorcraftBL64 and letting the plane crash into a hillside
Jacob claimed aircraft experienced engine trouble and he decided to ditch it because there was no safe place to land it
But aviation enthusiasts questioned Jacob's motives, raising the possibility he staged the crash for the sake of online fame

YouTube personality and former Olympic snowboarder Trevor Jacob has found himself at the center of a federal investigation after posting a video online that shows him jumping out of a small plane with a parachute and letting the aircraft crash into a California hillside.

Aviation enthusiasts who have viewed the video were quick to question whether the adventurer and daredevil may have ditched his second-hand plane, which appeared to be poorly maintained, on purpose in pursuit of viral fame.

Jacob, 28, who competed in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, uploaded the video, titled, 'I Crashed My Plane,' on his popular YouTube channel on Christmas Eve.

As of Thursday, the edited 13-minute recording, which follows Jacob's brief flight, parachute jump and hours-long trek through a rugged terrain, has drawn more than a million views.



Fame at any price.

[PHXPhlyer]

I saw this video when it first came out and it seemed hinky then.

PP

[TheGreenGoblin]

I saw this video when it first came out and it seemed hinky then.

PP

"Hinky"... what a good word. I shall immediately appropriate it and put it on the word of the day thread!

I have other words for this moron, which I shan't repeat here.

[Ex-Ascot]

I hope that the FAA prosecute.

[tango15]

I saw this video when it first came out and it seemed hinky then.

PP

"Hinky"... what a good word. I shall immediately appropriate it and put it on the word of the day thread!

I have other words for this moron, which I shan't repeat here.

On first reading I thought it said 'kinky', but once I saw it was 'hinky,' I didn't follow it

[FD2]

I had to look it up online...new to me.

[TheGreenGoblin]

https://www.flyingmag.com/former-olympi ... ion-by-faa

This joker's story sucks balls...

The FAA is investigating YouTuber Trevor Jacob for allegedly staging an aircraft accident in November. Jacob—the former Olympic snowboarder turned YouTuber—was flying solo over the Los Padres National Forest north of Los Angeles on November 24, when the engine on the Taylorcraft BL-65 allegedly quit. Jacob, a private pilot, was wearing a sport parachute and bailed out of the aircraft.

The pilotless airplane crashed as Jacob floated to earth.

At the time of the event, Jacob was allegedly enroute from Lompoc City Airport (KLPC) in Santa Barbara County to Mammoth Lakes (KMMH) in order to snowboard. He had recently purchased the aircraft and according to several reports in local newspapers, there is some question as to whether the aircraft was airworthy at the time of the flight, as it needed maintenance.

The aircraft had several cameras mounted on it and in it. The video shows Jacob’s reaction to loss of engine power. Although there is a camera mounted inside the cockpit that faces the panel, there are no shots of the panel that show the position of the throttle or mixture knobs, or the position of the magneto switch at the time of the power loss or after.

The video shows the aircraft cockpit as viewed from the left wing and from the tail of the aircraft, and inside the cockpit Jacob has a handheld camera which is mounted on a selfie stick before he bails out. As he falls away from the aircraft, he keeps the camera pointed on his face.

The video was posted to YouTube on December 23, and since then it has been shared and copied numerous times. There have been over a million views of the video on YouTube alone. Jacob’s other YouTube videos of his athletic activities garner on average a few thousand hits a day.

The video has been heavily scrutinized. For example, it has been noted that there was a flat, open area in the distance. Ostensibly, Jacob could have attempted an emergency landing in that area instead of jumping from the aircraft.

Other things noticed in the video are what appears to be a significant amount of fuel in the header tank of the aircraft, as shown by the tube fuel gauge atop the cowling, and a freeze frame of Jacob’s separation from the aircraft shows a cylindrical object strapped to his left calf—under his pant leg—that has the same dimensions as a fire extinguisher. A fire extinguisher is usually not carried as part of a pilot’s personal equipment.

After the event, as he hikes out of the brush Jacob talks about the benefit of wearing a parachute, stating that he always wears one when he flies. However a search of his other flying videos shows this statement to be incorrect.

The wreckage of the aircraft was allegedly recovered by Jacob a few days after he reported the accident to the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA.

The NTSB normally does not investigate unscheduled, off-airport landings of vintage light aircraft unless there is a failure of a flight-control system, damage to something other than the aircraft in excess of $25,000, or serious injuries as the result of the accident. However, the NTSB has filed a preliminary report.

Jacob sustained minor injuries in the form of a few cuts and bruises from landing in the brush.

If the FAA concludes that the accident was intentional and therefore staged, Jacob could be cited for violation of FAR 91.13: careless and reckless operation of aircraft. If it is determined that the aircraft was unairworthy at the time of the flight and there was no ferry permit, more citations could follow.

The FAA does not comment on ongoing investigations. It will be several months before the final report is released. For more information, pilots can reference the NTSB report by its file number: WPR22LA049.

[Undried Plum]

The NTSB normally does not investigate unscheduled, off-airport landings

unscheduled, off-airport landing


The fukkin thing went into a hillside like a tentpeg, but it was an "unscheduled, off-airport landing".

[AtomKraft]

Would have been a different story had it landed on someone's head.

[PHXPhlyer]

YouTuber who jumped from plane purposefully caused crash to record it, FAA letter says
The FAA said it was revoking Trevor Jacob’s private pilot certificate and that he chose to jump out of the plane “solely so you could record the footage of the crash.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/yo ... -rcna25316

A YouTuber who parachuted from a small airplane over California mountains last year after claiming engine trouble purposely caused the aircraft to crash so he could record it, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a recent letter.

The April 11 letter to Trevor Jacob says Jacob’s private pilot certificate, or license, has been revoked.

“On November 24, 2021, 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,” the FAA's emergency order of revocation letter says.

The Taylorcraft BL-65 single-engine plane left Lompoc in Santa Barbara County that day and crashed in Los Padres National Forest.

The New York Times reported the FAA letter Wednesday.

The video, titled “I Crashed My Plane,” was posted Dec. 23 on Jacob’s YouTube channel. Questions about whether the crash was intentional were raised and cited in media reports and aviation websites.

In it, Jacob, the pilot and sole occupant, is flying the single-engine plane when the video appears to show the propeller stop spinning. Jacob makes comments, several of which are bleeped, including one about an engine’s being out.

He then opens the door and jumps from the plane, recording himself falling and using a parachute. Cameras attached to the now-empty aircraft show it crashing into the mountains.

Jacob did not immediately respond to messages sent to an email address attached to the YouTube page late Wednesday or to messages sent to what appears to be his Instagram account and to a website that appears to be related to him.

An attorney listed in the FAA letter as apparently representing Jacob said he could not comment on Jacob’s affairs.

Jacob said in a statement in January that "I’ll happily say I did not purposely crash my plane for views on YouTube," The New York Times reported at the time.

Jacob has advertised himself on his YouTube channel as an adventurer and an Olympic athlete and the founder of an adventure-themed website.

He competed for Team USA in snowboarding at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and came in ninth place in men’s snowboardcross.

PP

[Ex-Ascot]

Good but what about prosecution.

[PHXPhlyer]

YouTuber who crashed plane in California mountains did it for sponsorship deal, authorities say
Trevor Jacob posted a video that captured the crash in December 2021.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/yo ... -rcna84078

A YouTuber whose single-engine airplane crashed in a California national forest admitted that he downed the aircraft to boost views for a sponsorship deal, authorities said Thursday.

Trevor Jacob, 29, made the admission in a plea agreement filed in federal court in Los Angeles.

Jacob pleaded guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars, the U.S. attorney’s office for Central California said in a news release.

Jacob posted the video behind the charge — “I Crashed My Airplane” — on Dec. 23, 2021. As of Thursday, the nearly 13-minute clip had 2.9 million views.

The video shows Jacob, described in the plea agreement as an experienced pilot and skydiver, taking off from Lompoc City Airport in a Taylorcraft BL-65 nearly a month before he published the video online.

Roughly one minute into the video, as Jacob flies over Los Padres National Forest, a camera mounted on the aircraft shows the propeller appear to stop working. Cameras capture Jacob jumping from the plane and opening a parachute as the aircraft crashes into the mountains.

https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/faa-f ... 8282565808

In a statement to The New York Times after the crash, Jacob said: “I’ll happily say I did not purposely crash my plane for views on YouTube.”


FAA finds YouTuber Trevor Jacob intentionally crashed plane in California
APRIL 21, 202202:29
According to the agreement, Jacob had intended to use the video for a sponsorship deal with an unnamed company that made wallets.

"Defendant intended to make money by promoting the wallet in the video that would depict, among other things, defendant parachuting from the airplane, and the airplane descending and crashing," the document says.

In an email to an investigator from the Federal Aviation Administration about a month after the crash, Jacob lied about not knowing where the aircraft’s wreckage was, according to the agreement. Weeks before, he'd used a helicopter company based in Paso Robles, roughly 120 miles north of Los Padres, to lift the wreckage from the mountains and put it in a trailer, the agreement says.

Jacob admitted taking the wreckage to the airplane hangar he used in Lompoc, cutting it up and throwing it away, the agreement says.

Jacob also falsely told the agency that he'd experienced a full loss of power 35 minutes after takeoff and that he'd parachuted from the plane because he couldn't identify a safe landing option, the agreement says.

Jacob didn't respond to a request for comment Thursday. His lawyer, Keri Axel, declined to comment.

PP

[PHXPhlyer]

YouTuber agrees to plead guilty to federal charge after intentionally crashing his plane for online views, DOJ says

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/us/trevo ... index.html

A 29-year-old YouTuber will plead guilty to a federal charge after he destroyed the wreckage of a plane he purposefully crashed to gain views, Justice Department officials announced Thursday.

Trevor Daniel Jacob admitted to authorities he planned to crash his plane in a video he made to promote a wallet. He later collected the aircraft’s wreckage and got rid of it to hinder federal investigators from probing the crash site, according to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

Jacob, a pilot and skydiver, agreed to plead guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation, the release said. CNN has reached out to Jacob’s attorney for comment.

The flight took place on November 24, 2021. Jacob departed from Lompoc City Airport, in Santa Barbara County, but he never intended to land the aircraft, he admitted in the plea agreement. Instead, he “planned to eject from his aircraft during the flight and video himself parachuting to the ground and his airplane as it descended and crashed,” according to the release.

Jacob had put up several cameras in different parts of the plane and took with him a parachute, video camera and selfie stick, the release said.

“Approximately 35 minutes after taking off, while flying above the Los Padres National Forest near Santa Maria, Jacob ejected from the airplane and videoed himself parachuting to the ground,” it added.

After parachuting to the ground and recording the crash, he hiked to the wreck and took the video data of the crash with him, according to the release.

The YouTuber reported the crash to the National Transportation Safety Board two days later and agreed to share the site of the wreck. But he instead lied to authorities that he did not know where the crash site was and roughly two weeks later, flew to the site with a friend, loaded up the wreckage and later destroyed it, according to the release, which cites the plea agreement.

Roughly a month after the wreck, he uploaded a video on YouTube called “I Crashed My Airplane,” showing the crash and Jacob parachuting from the plane.

Some viewers were suspicious of the stunt, with a number of comments pointing out Jacob was already wearing a parachute, made no attempt to glide the aircraft to a safe landing area, and took his camera and selfie stick with him when abandoning the plane.

“Jacob admitted in his plea agreement that he intended to make money through the video,” the release added.

He also admitted to lying to federal investigators after submitting an aircraft accident incident report and falsely claimed the plane fully lost power roughly half an hour after takeoff, the news release said.

“Jacob also lied to (a Federal Aviation Administration) aviation safety inspector when he said the airplane’s engine had quit and, because he could not identify any safe landing options, he had parachuted out of the plane,” it added.

The FAA revoked Jacob’s pilot license last year, according to the release.

Jacob is expected to appear in court in the coming weeks.

PP

[OneHungLow]

YouTuber agrees to plead guilty to federal charge after intentionally crashing his plane for online views, DOJ says

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/us/trevo ... index.html

A 29-year-old YouTuber will plead guilty to a federal charge after he destroyed the wreckage of a plane he purposefully crashed to gain views, Justice Department officials announced Thursday.

Jacob ejected from the airplane and videoed himself parachuting to the ground,” it added.

After parachuting to the ground and recording the crash, he hiked to the wreck and took the video data of the crash with him, according to the release.

The YouTuber reported the crash to the National Transportation Safety Board two days later and agreed to share the site of the wreck. But he instead lied to authorities that he did not know where the crash site was and roughly two weeks later, flew to the site with a friend, loaded up the wreckage and later destroyed it, according to the release, which cites the plea agreement.

The FAA revoked Jacob’s pilot license last year, according to the release.

Jacob is expected to appear in court in the coming weeks.

PP

Ejected?

Whatever the case, the fool is not likely to legally pilot an aircraft again and might do jail time as well.

[Ex-Ascot]

Looks as if he is facing 20 years.

[OneHungLow]

Looks as if he is facing 20 years.

That is certainly the maximum sentence he can receive for obstructing a federal investigation! He has agreed to plead guilty to a number of charges, so I imagine he and his lawyer have made some sort of plead bargain with the Department of Justice, but I wouldn't be surprised if he still gets a fairly lengthily jail sentence.

No doubt he is calling character witnesses galore with testimonials attesting to his fine upright character (he did represent the US in the Olympics at snow boarding so one assumes he managed to stay upright doing that anyway) so maybe the judge might be minded to fall for some of the blarney!

I am not inclined to have much sympathy for this chap. Pride, and hubris, cometh before a fall, literally, in this case.

[PHXPhlyer]

Anyone who wasted a perfectly good aircraft should receive the maximum punishment (or more) just on general principles.

PP

[OneHungLow]

Anyone who wasted a perfectly good aircraft should receive the maximum punishment (or more) just on general principles.

PP

I cannot think of anything more shameful as a pilot than willingly crashing an aircraft. I would be mortified to put a scratch on one.

[Pinky the pilot]

Anyone who wasted a perfectly good aircraft should receive the maximum punishment (or more) just on general principles.

I vould haf him stood up against a vall und shot at dawn every morning for life!!

AND sent to the Russian front!!

Well....I'm sure you get the idea.

[PHXPhlyer]

Anyone who wasted a perfectly good aircraft should receive the maximum punishment (or more) just on general principles.

I vould haf him stood up against a vall und shot at dawn every morning for life!!

AND sent to the Russian front!!

Well....I'm sure you get the idea.

And then use BM's depopulationizer.

PP