The Federal Aviation Administration revoked his pilot certificate after determining that he had intentionally crashed the plane for the sole purpose of filming it.
[8][9] In May 2023, Jacob pleaded guilty to a charge of obstruction of justice, having disposed of the aircraft wreckage without authorization or supervision while lying to federal investigators about its disposition.
In addition to snowboarding, Jacob has participated in skateboarding, surfing, BMX riding, motocross and mixed martial arts, and was part of Travis Pastrana's Nitro Circus collective.
On November 24, 2021, he took off from Lompoc Airport alone, claiming that he was flying to Mammoth Mountain to spread ashes of his friend Johnny Strange.
[12] The NTSB does not normally investigate off-airport general aviation crashes that do not involve serious injuries to persons, flight control problems, or substantial damage to property other than the aircraft itself.
"[8][20] On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced that Jacob pleaded guilty to a felony charge of "destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation", a violation of section 1519 of Title 18 of the United States Code.
[1][12][10] Jacob admitted that he intentionally crashed the plane "to gain notoriety and to make money"[11][12] and said the motive for his scheme was to earn commissions from wallet manufacturer The Ridge, which sponsored his video.
[11] On December 4, 2023, U.S. District Judge John F. Walter sentenced him to six months in prison,[12][23] with a scheduled start date of January 29, 2024.
[24] Less than a week after his December 2023 sentencing, an FAA spokesperson confirmed in a statement to Los Angeles that the agency had granted Jacob a new pilot certificate.