Trevor Jacob facts for kids

Trevor Daniel Jacob (born August 6, 1993) is an American athlete and YouTuber. He is known for his skills in snowboard cross and as a light aircraft pilot. Trevor Jacob competed for the United States in snowboarding at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

In December 2021, Jacob shared a YouTube video. In the video, he jumped out of a small plane. He said the engine had stopped working. Later, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) took away his pilot license. They found that he had crashed the plane on purpose to film it. In 2023, Jacob admitted he had lied to investigators. He also admitted he hid the plane's parts. He was sentenced to six months in prison for this.

Trevor Jacob's Sports Career

Trevor Jacob grew up in Mammoth Lakes, California. He competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi, Russia. He was a snowboard cross athlete. He reached the semifinal round but did not make it to the final race. He finished ninth overall in the competition.

Jacob also competed in the Winter X Games. He took part in 2014, 2015, and 2016. His best result was fifth place in 2016. He also won a 2013–14 FIS Snowboard World Cup event. This win happened on January 11, 2014.

Besides snowboarding, Trevor Jacob enjoys many other extreme sports. He has participated in skateboarding and surfing. He also does BMX riding and motocross. He was even part of Travis Pastrana's famous Nitro Circus group.

Trevor Jacob's YouTube Channel

Trevor Jacob creates videos for his YouTube channel. He is well-known for content about skydiving, flying planes, and snowboarding. By early 2022, his YouTube channel had more than 100,000 followers.

The Plane Crash Incident

Trevor Jacob plane crash

A Taylorcraft B similar to the aircraft involved
Incident summary
Date	November 24, 2021 (2021-11-24)
Summary	Deliberately crashed as a publicity stunt
Place	Los Padres National Forest, near New Cuyama, California, United States 34°48′50″N 119°57′33″W / 34.814°N 119.9591°W / 34.814; -119.9591
Passengers	0
Crew	1
Injuries (non-fatal)	1
Fatalities	0
Survivors	1
Aircraft type	Taylorcraft BL-65
Airline/user	Trevor Jacob
Registration	NC29508
Flew from	Lompoc Airport
Flying to	None

Trevor Jacob owned a Taylorcraft BL-65 airplane. This was a small, old plane from 1940. On November 24, 2021, he took off alone from Lompoc Airport. He said he was flying to Mammoth Mountain. His plan was to spread the ashes of his friend, Johnny Strange. People at the airport said his plane needed a lot of repairs.

Jacob wore a large skydiving parachute during the flight. This was unusual for him when flying this type of plane. The plane also had several cameras inside. These cameras were set up to record the flight. Jacob also carried a selfie stick to film himself.

During the flight, the plane's engine stopped. Jacob then jumped out of the plane with his parachute. He landed safely but had minor injuries. The empty plane crashed into a wild area. It landed in Los Padres National Forest. The plane was badly damaged. Jacob walked to the crash site. Then he hiked out of the area. He told everyone that the engine had failed.

About a month later, Jacob posted a video on YouTube. It was called "I Crashed My Plane." The video was 13 minutes long. It showed many parts of the incident. However, it did not show the plane's controls or engine gauges. It also did not show Jacob trying to restart the engine. He also did not try to contact air traffic control. He also did not try to land the plane safely. These unusual actions made many pilots suspicious. They thought the crash was planned for attention. The video was watched 1.7 million times before it was removed.

Jacob said he did not crash the plane on purpose. He stated that "People can believe whatever they choose."

Official Investigations

Two days after the crash, Jacob reported it to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB started an investigation right away. They told Jacob to keep the plane's wreckage safe. They also asked for all his video footage. Jacob agreed but said he did not know where the wreckage was.

Three days later, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also began an investigation. Jacob told both groups he could not remember the exact crash spot. However, he had hiked to and from the site to get his cameras. The U.S. Forest Service later said the plane's parts were removed mysteriously. This happened before the YouTube video was posted. Jacob told investigators he could not explain why the wreckage disappeared.

In April 2022, the FAA decided that Jacob had abandoned the plane on purpose. They noted that he opened the door before the engine supposedly failed. He also did not try to land the plane or contact air traffic control. He then secretly took the cameras and the plane's parts. He later got rid of the parts. The FAA took away Jacob's private pilot license. He was not allowed to apply for a new one for one year. The FAA said his flight was "careless or reckless."

Legal Consequences

On May 11, 2023, it was announced that Jacob admitted to a serious charge. He pleaded guilty to "destroying and hiding evidence." This was done to stop a federal investigation. Prosecutors said Jacob lied to federal investigators. He gave a false accident report. He also falsely told an FAA investigator that his engine failed. He said he could not find a safe place to land.

Jacob also admitted that he and a friend used a helicopter. They moved the plane's wreckage on December 10, 2021. Jacob then put it on a truck trailer. He moved it to a hangar at Lompoc Airport. There, he cut it into pieces. He then threw the pieces away in different places. He did all this without permission. At the same time, he told investigators he did not know where the wreckage was.

Jacob admitted he crashed the plane on purpose. He wanted to "gain notoriety and to make money." He said he wanted to earn money from a company called The Ridge. They made wallets and sponsored his video.

Jacob made an agreement with federal prosecutors. On December 4, 2023, a judge sentenced him to six months in prison. He started his sentence on January 29, 2024. Jacob was held at USP Lompoc. He was released on June 12, 2024.

Getting a New Pilot License

Less than a week after his prison sentence, the FAA confirmed something new. They told Los Angeles magazine that Jacob had been given a new pilot license.