YouTuber sent to federal prison after crashing plane for content

Michael Gwilliam
youtuber crashes plane for views

YouTuber Trevor Jacob has been sentenced to six months in federal prison after he crashed a plane on purpose and posted the video to social media for views.

Back in 2022, Jacob uploaded a video titled ‘I Crashed My Plane’ where he parachuted into the Nevada mountains and left his plane to crash.

While Jacob blamed the crash on an “engine failure,” many were convinced there was more to the story and the Federal Aviation Administration revoked his private pilot license.

Now, two years after the 2021 crash, Jacob was determined to have lied about the whole thing and will be spending some time in a federal prison as a result.

Trevor Jacob jailed after purposefully crashing plane for YouTube views

According to CNN, after the crash, Jacob was told to preserve the site and alert the National Transportation Safety Board of where it happened.

However, he instead lifted the wreckage with a helicopter, which prosecutors claimed was done to prevent an investigation.

“Most likely committed this offense to generate social media and news coverage for himself and to obtain financial gain. Nevertheless, this type of ‘daredevil’ conduct cannot be tolerated,” the prosecution argued.

Despite Jacob’s attorneys doing their best to get their client probation instead of jail time, the persecution said that a prison sentence was “necessary” to send a message that social media stunts will not be tolerated.

In a letter to the judge, Jacob said he was “sincerely sorry” and admitted he researched plane routes to ensure no one would be hurt due to the crash.

This is hardly the first time someone has broken the law for content. Last month, an 11-year-old Florida boy faked a bomb threat at his school in an effort to go viral on TikTok.

About The Author

Michael Gwilliam is a senior writer at Dexerto based in Ontario, Canada. He specializes in Overwatch, Smash, influencers, and Twitch culture. Gwilliam has written for sites across Canada including the Toronto Sun. You can contact him at michael.gwilliam@dexerto.com or on Twitter @TheGwilliam