29-year-old YouTuber pilot, Trevor Daniel Jacob, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation. This crime carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The Justice Department announced the plea agreement after Jacob deliberately destroyed the wreckage of a plane he intentionally crashed in Santa Barbara County to gain online views.
Jacob, an experienced pilot and skydiver from Lompoc, had secured a sponsorship from a company selling various products, including a wallet. As part of the deal, he agreed to promote the company’s wallet in a YouTube video.
On November 24, 2021, Jacob took off from Lompoc City Airport on a solo flight supposedly heading to Mammoth Lakes. However, Jacob had planned to eject from the aircraft mid-flight, parachute to the ground, and film the plane’s descent and crash. To capture the event, Jacob mounted several video cameras on the airplane and equipped himself with a parachute, video camera, and selfie stick.
After crashing the plane in Los Padres National Forest and parachuting to the ground, Jacob recovered the video data and informed the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) about the crash. The NTSB instructed Jacob to preserve the wreckage for examination and provide the coordinates and videos to investigators. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also launched an investigation into the crash.
Jacob later lied to investigators about the wreckage’s location and, with a friend’s help, moved it to Lompoc City Airport. He then destroyed the wreckage and disposed of the parts in various trash bins, admitting in his plea agreement that he did so to obstruct federal authorities from investigating the crash.
On December 23, 2021, Jacob uploaded a YouTube video titled “I Crashed My Airplane,” promoting the wallet and depicting his parachute escape and the aircraft’s crash. Jacob admitted in his plea agreement that he intended to make money through the video.
Jacob further confessed to lying to federal investigators when he submitted a false aircraft accident report and lied to an FAA aviation safety inspector. The FAA revoked Jacob’s pilot license in April 2022.
