YouTuber Who Crashed Plane On Purpose Sentenced To Prison Time: Authorities

LOS ANGELES — A YouTuber was sentenced this week to six months in prison after he intentionally crashed an airplane for a video, lied to authorities and destroyed evidence, according to federal officials.

Trevor Daniel Jacob, 30, of Lompoc, was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty in June to one count of destruction and concealment with intent to obstruct a federal investigation, authorities said.

Jacob is an experienced pilot, skydiver and former Olympic snowboarder, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

He took off alone from Lompoc City Airport on Nov. 24, 2021, and, about 35 minutes into the flight, he ejected above the Los Padres National Forest and recorded himself parachuting to the ground, authorities said. He used a selfie stick and cameras mounted on the plane to take video of the descent and crash, and recovered the footage after the incident, according to the department.

Two days later, Jacob notified the National Transportation Safety Board of the crash, authorities said. In the weeks that followed, he claimed not to know the location of the wreckage, but, on Dec. 10, 2021, he recovered it from the crash site, brought it to Lompoc City Airport and destroyed it, according to the department.

Jacob submitted an aircraft accident report stating the plane experienced a full loss of power, according to authorities. He also lied to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector when Jacob said the plane’s engine had quit, forcing him to parachute out of the aircraft, authorities said.

“It appears that (Jacob) exercised exceptionally poor judgment in committing this offense,” prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum. “[Jacob] most likely committed this offense to generate social media and news coverage for himself and to obtain financial gain. Nevertheless, this type of ‘daredevil’ conduct cannot be tolerated.”

On Dec. 23, 2021, Jacob uploaded a YouTube video called, "I Crashed My Airplane,” in which he is seen panicking and jumping out of the single-propeller plane. The video has 4.4 million views.

"I'm just so happy to be alive," he said in the video. "I'm just kind of taking in what just happened."

Jacob had a sponsor for whom he had agreed to promote a wallet in a video, according to the department. The plane crash video previously contained the promotion.

Jacob issued a statement through his attorney, which was published in full by KABC.

"This experience has been so humbling,” he said in the statement. “I’ve learned more about myself than in my entire prior life combined. I have learned from my mistakes, and look forward to being a contributing member of society, and a mentor for youth.

“I am grateful that Judge (John) Walter considered many different aspects of my unique situation. I believe he made the right decision in imposing this punishment.

“I am excited to continue my positive growth as a person through my six month term in prison. This was a massive learning experience. I'm grateful for the support system I have around me. Especially my incredible lawyer. This would have been a much worse outcome without her. I'm grateful I have learned so much from this, and am so excited for the next chapter."