How far will people go for social media popularity? We all know the answer is “too far,” but how far is “too far?” I think we can all agree that former Olympian Trevor Jacob went too far.
Jacob, an Olympic snowboarder who made it to the semi-finals of the men’s snowboard cross in Sochi, Russia back in 2014, was under federal investigation in regards to a suspicious plane crash, charges related to which he pleaded guilty this week as part of a plea deal, CNN reports. The crash took place in November of 2021 in Santa Barbara County, California. Thankfully no one was hurt, partly because Jacob was the lone person on the plane, which was a small single-engine 1940 Taylorcraft plane.
Apparently, Jacob’s desire to increase his views on YouTube was further motivated by a potential sponsorship deal with a company that sells wallets, though it’s unclear whether that deal was made before the video, or if he required a certain number of views to earn the sponsorship. Regardless, the video achieved its result by getting over 3 million views and, incredibly, is still on YouTube.
Jacob set up the plane with numerous cameras and stopped the engine mid-flight high above the Los Padres National Forest, making it appear that the propeller stopped on its own. Already conveniently in skydiving gear, Jacobs jumped from the plane and holds a selfie stick for the entire descent. He pretends to be stunned while the plane, which is extremely far away at this point, eventually crashes into the mountains.
The video then fast forwards to 20 minutes later, where Jacob says to the camera, “I guess I should probably document what’s going on.” He expresses that he is glad to be alive, and claims to have thought he was going to die while adding, “That’s why I always fly with a parachute.”
The FAA revoked his pilot license last year due to the incident, mostly because of his failure to follow certain emergency protocols, such as trying to restart the engine, or contacting air traffic control. He also lied to investigators by telling them he did not know the location of the plane, only to then return to the crash site, retrieve the plane, and then destroy it. He was thus also charged with obstruction, thanks to tampering with evidence.
Now that the former Olympian has pleaded guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Published: May 12, 2023 01:52 pm