Although they can often lead to some disturbing places, there’s something eminently fascinating about going down an internet rabbit hole.
That’s likely a big part of why so many people are so morbidly fascinated with true crime nowadays. However, it’s also a phenomenon that predates the internet as a similar impulse has compelled people to uncover the secrets behind UFO sightings for decades.
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But whether a simple question accidentally leads us to a whole new, bizarre world or we simply have to get to the bottom of something baffling , it’s surprisingly easy to suddenly find yourself invested in a story that you wouldn’t have once given a second thought.
And that’s why it wasn’t just other aviation enthusiasts who raised their eyebrows after a dramatic video hit YouTube in the waning days of 2021.
On December 24, civilian pilot and former Olympic snowboarder Trevor Jacob uploaded a video with the stated intention of scattering his friend’s ashes.
According to Insider , this required a flight over California’s Mammoth Mountain and commemorated a BASE jumper named Johnny Strange who died in a wingsuit accident in 2015.
But during this flight, Jacob claimed that the engine failed and soon after, he would jump from the plane and activate a parachute that eventually guided him down into some wooded hills.
As he said at the time, “I am exhausted. I’m so thirsty. I’m scared, I’m in trouble, I’m cut all over the place.”
However, the video quickly became suspicious to others within YouTube’s aviation community, as Jacob appeared to skip other available options before letting the plane crash into the mountain.
In a video responding to the incident, drone pilot Trent Palmer noted that the door nearest Jacob had apparently been unlatched before the engine’s supposed failure.
More curious to him, however, was that Jacob didn’t appear to look for a place where he could land the plane despite Palmer spotting a place in the footage where he could have done so with a high probability of success.
Another pilot named Dan Millican agreed, saying that it would have been safer to try and let the plane glide to a suitable location than to parachute out as Jacob did.
Speaking of parachutes, the fact that Jacob was wearing one at all was also considered suspicious as it’s unusual for small aircraft pilots to fly with one on.
Palmer noted that Jacob himself doesn’t usually make a habit of wearing one either and added, “This is a skydiving parachute, so that’s a little strange.”
Why that matters is that these types of parachutes are usually bulky enough to interfere with a pilot’s operations. So even a pilot who would habitually fly with a parachute is unlikely to choose that kind.
In the day following the release of Jacob’s video, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that they are now investigating him and the incident.
And in accordance with their policies regarding ongoing investigations, the FAA offered no further comment on the matter.
h/t: Insider , YouTube | Trent Palmer
