“I did not jump out of my plane for views,” Jacob told ABC News.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has revoked the pilot’s license of YouTuber Trevor Jacob following a January crash the FAA claims James “purposely” caused.
In November 2021, Jacob flew over Los Padres National Forest in California. Jacob posted a 12-minute video of the crash to his YouTube channel that has received more than 1.7 million views, according to the video’s YouTube page.
“You operated this flight to purposely cause N29508 to crash,” the FAA said in a letter to Jacob dated April 11, 2022.
In the letter, the FAA said Jacob’s flight was “careless or reckless so as to endanger the life or property of another” and said Jacob must surrender his private pilot’s license effective immediately.
“The FAA brought up some astonishing observations,” Jacob told ABC News when asked Thursday about the letter.
“I did not jump out of my plane for views,” Jacob told ABC News. “Some say my aircraft N29508 is still in perfect condition inside an airport hangar.”
According to the letter sent by the FAA in early April, Jacob attached multiple cameras to the inside and outside of the plane and was wearing a sports parachute in a backpack during the flight. The FAA claims Jacob opened the side door of the plane claiming the engine had failed.
The FAA notes that Jacob did not attempt to restart the engine, contact air traffic controllers about the problem, or look for areas to land safely. The FAA said Jacob then jumped from the plane “while holding a camera attached to a selfie stick.”
In the YouTube video, Jacob says, “This is why I always fly with a parachute.”
Also in the video, Jacob goes to the plane’s wreckage and retrieves the cameras that were attached to the plane.
The FAA said if Jacob does not surrender his pilot’s license, he will be subject to a fine of $1,644 per day until it is surrendered. The FAA also will not accept any future license application from Jacob for one year.
ABC News’ Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.