Alone the fact that they’re nitpicking legalities (“the video was a cell phone recording of a surveillance camera screen and thus isn’t valid proof, because it needs to be an original”) tells me there might be greyish shades to that clear case of a Youtuber being wrongfully persecuted story.
On the other hand, if they didn’t have proof of the bank angle and bent the law to still be able able to suspend his license, they create the real issue: Absurd rulings in their archaic case law.
It is a bit like this (normally the answer appears to be NO since a great deal of illegality does appear on Youtube etc) except in this case the pilot self-incriminated himself heavily, plus there is the wreckage on the ground.
The evidence preservation rule is real (which is why, in the UK, e.g. if you film your neighbour smashing up your car the police will not act on the video alone; the video has to be made by a private detective) but in this case there is ample corroborating material.
One would have expected the FAA to be way smarter and get something more “interesting” than the esthetics of go-around vs low-pass? and if he was wearing his cool hat?
This did get very childish but so far the pilot seems to be the grown up guy, unless there is more to it on FAA side that was not said in his video, only Trent Palmer and FAA will know what exactly happened and if there were serious precedents than trying to land in his friend backyard…
Surely there is more to it?
After one year, he is now facing 20 years of prison
https://abcnews.go.com/US/youtuber-trevor-jacob-plead-guilty-federal-plane-crash/story?id=99261120
The charge is not under “reckless flying” FAR.91.13 they got him under “falsification of records/investigation” 18 U.S. Code § 1519
Moral of the story, one can mess up badly but they should not lie to the feds !
Whoa. It wasn’t ok, and he deserves a sentence, but 20 years sounds like too much.
What is the sentence for murdery in Germany? 25 years if I am not mistaken. That’s a bit disproportionate.
20 years sounds like too much
I don’t think he would get that for any form of reckless flying…the charge is about what he did the week after while investigating was running
What is the sentence for murdery in Germany? 25 years if I am not mistaken. That’s a bit disproportionate.
Probably more if you burry evidences…
I guess they want to set an example…
UdoR wrote:
Whoa. It wasn’t ok, and he deserves a sentence, but 20 years sounds like too much.
The sentence is not decided yet from what I understand. What he is accused of carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, which does not mean that he will be sentenced to 20 years. He is pleading guilty so I guess he will get less…
Absolutely. The article linked by Ibra states:
The charge — destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation — carries up to a 20-year prison sentence. A plea agreement was filed on Wednesday, court records show. Jacob is expected to make his initial court appearance in a few weeks.
