En esta noticia
Trevor Jacob, the former Olympic snowboarder turned YouTuber, became known worldwide in November 2021 for parachuting out of his small plane over the Los Padres National Forest in California and filming it as it crashed into the mountains, footage he later posted on his YouTube channel under the title “I Crashed My Airplane.”
It all started in December 2021, when the 33-year-old man posted the video of the plane crash, and he implied it was an accident. ejected from the plane, with a selfie stick in hand, and parachuted down to land.
The video called “I Crashed My Plane” was a hit, and it amassed more than five million views. The original video is no longer available. But Federal Investigators later determined that the plane never malfunctioned and that Jacob had staged the crash, hoping for online fame.
The trick eroded his life and led to a federal prison sentence. In an interview made by The New York Times, the man said he regrets what he did: “It completely decimated my entire life,” he said. “I was homeless. I lost all my money. It’s been a hell of a climb out of hell.”
The instant regret he felt after jumping
In an interview with Good Morning America aired in 2024, Jacob said he “had no idea” that he was breaking the law when he jumped out of the plane.
“When I jumped out of the plane, I jumped and I’m like, ‘You just made the biggest mistake of your life’” recalled Jacob.
The fake crash accident that decimated Trevor Jacob’s life
At first, Jacob claimed the plane’s engine really failed, but federal investigators said the crash was intentional. In 2023 he pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction and concealment with intent to obstruct a federal investigation.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said, “He did not intend to reach his destination but instead planned to eject from his aircraft during the flight and video himself parachuting to the ground and his airplane as it descended and crashed.”
His pilot’s license was revoked by the FAA, and a judge sentenced him to six months in federal prison. With good behavior, Jacob served four and a half months at Lompoc Federal Prison.
The new chapter of Jacob’s life after the sentence
Jacob was released on June 12, 2024. He then started working as a skydiving instructor, construction worker and also trains in jiu-jitsu.
“Don’t try to chase attention and don’t try to chase fame and glory because it’ll leave you empty… just trying to be a good person to your neighbor and your friends and the local community.”, said to California’s Central Coast in february.