A YouTuber who was found to have deliberately crashed his plane for a video has spoken out before spending six months behind bars.
Trevor Jacob, a 30-year-old pilot and former Olympic snowboarder intentionally downed his plane in California's Los Padres National Forest on November 24, 2021, capturing the event on film and later concealing evidence, according to the Department of Justice.
The stunt, which took place over the Los Padres National Forest in November 2021, featured Jacob flying over the mountains while holding the ashes of a deceased friend. The video gained significant traction on YouTube, amassing over three million views.
However, what initially seemed like an attention-grabbing spectacle took a serious turn when Jacob claimed to have lost an engine mid-flight and proceeded to parachute out of the plane. The footage documented his descent, with cameras attached to the aircraft capturing its subsequent crash into the mountains.
The video remained on YouTube for over a year until suspicions arose. The National Transportation Safety Board noted that Jacob took two days to report the crash, raising questions about the authenticity of the incident.
Prosecutors alleged that Jacob returned to the crash site to "destroy" evidence that could expose the true nature of the incident. Furthermore, he was accused of providing false information to authorities regarding the whereabouts of the wreckage.
Jacob pleaded guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation in June 2023.
As part of the plea deal, Jacob confessed to discarding parts of the aircraft at various locations, including Lompoc City Airport. Investigators from the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California uncovered another layer of deception when they realized Jacob was wearing a skydiving outfit in the plane, rather than the attire traditionally worn by pilots.
In an exclusive interview with Good Morning America aired on Friday, Jacob expressed his surprise at the legal consequences, stating he "had no idea" that jumping out of the plane would result in breaking the law. However, he acknowledged learning later that he committed five felonies with his actions.
"When I jumped out of the plane, I jumped and I’m like, ‘You just made the biggest mistake of your life,’" recalled Jacob, anticipating the repercussions of his actions as he faced the commencement of his sentence later this month.
"I made sure that there was no fuel in the plane, made absolutely sure that there was nobody in that vicinity," Jacob told GMA, shedding light on the calculated nature of his stunt.
Despite acknowledging his mistake, Jacob defended his decision to post the video, citing gratitude for being alive and thinking: “I may as well put this online.”
Taking "full responsibility" for his actions, Jacob, in his GMA interview, stated that he does not condone such behavior, emphasizing the importance of learning from his mistake.
He urged the public, especially children, to avoid the allure of seeking attention through dangerous stunts, saying: “Let’s not get in this disgusting feedback loop of dopamine and adrenaline and views and likes, and I’m happy to be looked at as the idiot to show kids, 'Hey, don’t do this type of stuff.'"
Jacob is set to start his prison sentence later this month.
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