# Pilots, lawyers, etc: Let's talk about Trevor Jacob, YouTuber who may have intentionally crashed his plane for publicity **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 13, 2022, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985 "2022-03-13T19:46:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/61 "2023-05-12T16:38:05Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > I think you’re right. I’m glad this clown is facing consequences for his reckless stunt, but there’s nothing to be gained by locking him up. A whopping fine and a couple of years of probation is just, I feel. Would be nice if the FAA permanently yanked his pilot’s license and YouTube demonetized his channel, though ETA: On reflection, a year or so in a federal prison might really drive home what a phenomenally stupid thing he did. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/62 "2023-05-12T16:42:41Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > ETA: On reflection, a year or so in a federal prison might really drive home what a phenomenally stupid thing he did. - If he couldn’t figure out on his own that crashing his plane intentionally was a phenomenally stupid thing to do, a year in prison won’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/63 "2023-05-12T16:53:22Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > > > ETA: On reflection, a year or so in a federal prison might really drive home what a phenomenally stupid thing he did. - > > If he couldn’t figure out on his own that crashing his plane intentionally was a phenomenally stupid thing to do, a year in prison won’t do it Maybe not. But it would be a sharp, salutary lesson that stupidity on that level has _consequences_. Unpleasant ones. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/64 "2023-05-12T16:54:44Z")
_Pour encourager les autres._ ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/65 "2023-05-12T16:55:17Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Maybe not. But it would be a sharp, salutary lesson that stupidity on that level has _consequences_. Unpleasant ones. - The possibility of a fiery and painful death works for most people with a functioning brain. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/66 "2023-05-12T17:31:00Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > If he couldn’t figure out on his own that crashing his plane intentionally was a phenomenally stupid thing to do, a year in prison won’t do it. As I said above, crashing the plane for clicks was intensely stupid, but knowingly retrieving and destroying the evidence and then lying about it to federal investigators is a whole different level of criminality. That, to me, is worth a minimum of five years all by itself. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/67 "2023-05-12T17:39:54Z")
Really. How in Og’s name did he think this would end well? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/68 "2023-05-12T17:47:23Z")
Good question. The entire thing is just so obviously fake; there’s not a single element of it that any adult would find believable. Jacob can’t be THAT stupid - he was smart enough to earn a pilot’s license, dress himself, and other rudimentary functions - so, like, what is it, do you think? Does he have some sort of emotional disorder? ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/69 "2023-05-12T18:03:17Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > > [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > > > Maybe not. But it would be a sharp, salutary lesson that stupidity on that level has _consequences_. Unpleasant ones. - > > The possibility of a fiery and painful death works for most people with a functioning brain That’s the kinda the point, though - he’s an experienced skydiver, and jumped out of the plane wearing a sport parachute and a fire extinguisher strapped to his leg. He knew he wasn’t going to die in a fiery crash. He _didn’t_ know, and seemingly didn’t care, if anyone on the ground might. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/70 "2023-05-12T18:08:03Z")
Okay, so let’s say I want to have video of a plane crash. I have a plane that I’m willing to crash, and I’m a pilot and I’m willing to take the risks involved. Is there a legitimate way to set this up? Could I go out to the salt flats or something and get permission from relevant authorities? I’m sure there’d be plenty of fees involved, but better than fines and jail time. Seems one of those times when it’s better to ask permission than forgiveness. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/71 "2023-05-12T18:27:57Z")
That seems like something a filmmaker might do, so I’d assume it’s plausible. As you suggest, it would involve a metric crapton of permits and safety protocols, of course. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/72 "2023-05-12T18:39:22Z")
I’d imagine even a big budget hollywood movie would have a hard time getting permission from the FAA etc to crash an actual flying aircraft delibrately (as opposed to a plane fuslage attached to a crane or whatever) In one famous case where researchers were doing this as a scientific study, they were unable to get permission so had to do it in Mexico (which of course would be an option for hypothetical law abiding youtuber) > **[Throwback: When Scientists Deliberately Crashed A Boeing 727](https://simpleflying.com/deliberate-boeing-727-crash/)** > > The experiment was part of a television program. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/73 "2023-05-12T18:54:58Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Pour encourager les autres. Exact same phrase came to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/74 "2023-05-12T21:17:54Z")
This strangely reminds me of that Kickstarter project where a group was going to raise 20 million dollars to buy both an old 767 jet plane and an abandoned high rise building and they were going to fly the 767 jet into the high rise to “prove/disprove the events of 9/11”. They filmed the pitch video in Thailand or some other country where they already had a lead on a tall abandoned building they could buy for cheap, it was just the used 767 they needed the funding for. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/75 "2023-05-12T22:09:33Z")
The [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/11/us/trevor-jacob-youtuber-plead-guilty-federal-charge/) article & the linked [Justice dept press release](https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/santa-barbara-county-man-who-deliberately-crashed-airplane-youtube-video-admits) not only don’t say anything about a sentence but state he’ll make his initial court appearance in the coming weeks. I’m guessing they’ve negotiated one but not publicly releasing it yet. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2023, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/76 "2023-05-12T22:42:12Z")
Or maybe the negotiation, such as there was one, was to reduce what could have been a plethora of charges down to a single count? ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/77 "2023-05-13T15:46:05Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > he’ll make his initial court appearance in the coming weeks. > > I’m guessing they’ve negotiated one but not publicly releasing it yet. I think even though he has certainly negotiated a sentence, that the sentence and plea deal still has to be approved by the judge. If the deal negotiated with the prosecutor is for $50 and having to pick up the trash, the judge might reject it, and send them back to renegotiate or go to trial. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/78 "2023-05-13T15:50:32Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The entire thing is just so obviously fake; there’s not a single element of it that any adult would find believable. Jacob can’t be THAT stupid - he was smart enough to earn a pilot’s license, dress himself, and other rudimentary functions - so, like, what is it, do you think? Does he have some sort of emotional disorder? Just desperate to go viral. Viral does = more money due to more views, so Jacob wasn’t irrational, it’s just that he badly underestimated the odds of being called out for faking it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/79 "2023-05-13T15:58:42Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Just desperate to go viral. Viral does = more money due to more views, so Jacob wasn’t irrational, it’s just that he badly underestimated the odds of being called out for faking it. I get the _motive._ Of course the motive is views and attention. The problem is that he was INSANELY irrational in thinking this would fool anyone. To use an analogy, it’s like being an art counterfeiter. The motive in faking a Van Gogh is rational; it could make me millions of dollars. But if my fake version of “Irises” looks like a child’s drawing of a horse because I have no artistic ability, and yet I try to sell it to a gallery and insist it’s real, you would justifiably assume I was suffering from a psychological disorder. The Jacob video isn’t just faked; it’s stupidly, obviously faked. At first I actually found it hard to believe Jacob meant for people to believe it and I thought people were misunderstanding a guerrilla movie. His behavior made no sense, either in the plane or after. You can literally see his door is already open. He has a fire extinguisher strapped to his leg for some reason. He is taking a video **of his face** as he free falls from the plane. He has like ten cameras on the plane. It wouldn’t even work well as a scene from a movie, it’s THAT fake. There is something deeply troubled about the man. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985/80 "2023-05-13T16:11:47Z")
Every pilot knows, or should know, that the NTSB investigates each crash _thoroughly_ to find out the cause of the crash. Engine failure? Take the engine apart and put it back together to see what went wrong. If you fake an engine failure by pulling the mixture to idle cutoff, or by turning off the fuel, it should be pretty easy to determine the cause of the ‘failure’ was fuel starvation. Sometimes the answer is obvious, as when [a Bell 47 pilot’s wife inadvertently pulled the mixture instead of the carb heat](https://www.islandsweekly.com/news/helicopter-crashes-off-bell-island-couple-picked-up/) and wound up in the drink off of a local Island. The occupants survived, and told authorities what happened. ‘Dr. John Brantigan told KING 5-TV that it was “a stupid mistake … it wasn’t the helicopter’s fault.”’ No need for a full investigation there. But if a pilot says, ‘The engine just stopped!’ then the NTSB is going to find out why. What pisses me off is that there are thousands of pilots praying to God to be able to have their own aircraft, and _this_ yobbo intentionally destroys a perfectly good one. That really torques my jaw. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilots-lawyers-etc-lets-talk-about-trevor-jacob-youtuber-who-may-have-intentionally-crashed-his-plane-for-publicity/960985.md?page=5)