FAA Investigates Former Olympian

Administration looking into possible staging of an aircraft accident for social media.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, January 21, 2022 at 02:56 PM ET

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Trevor Jacob jumps out of his Taylorcraft BL-65. [YouTube Screengrab]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is investigating YouTuber Trevor Jacob for allegedly staging an aircraft accident in November, where he bailed out of his plane over a national forest while extensively filming the event.
Suspicion arises from details such as the aircraft's questionable airworthiness, Jacob's failure to attempt a landing in a clear area, crucial cockpit details missing from the video, and contradictory statements about his parachute use.
If the accident is determined to be intentional and staged, Jacob could face citations for careless and reckless operation of an aircraft, and potentially for flying an unairworthy plane.

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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.