blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has reportedly flown on a plane for the first time since he was involved in the fatal South Carolina Learjet 60 airplane crash back in 2008.
On September 19th 2008, Travis Barker, DJ Adam ‘DJ AM’ Goldstein, Barker’s assistant, Chris Baker, and security guard, Charles “Che” Still, were catching a flight from South Carolina to Van Nuys, California following a TRV$DJAM performance at a concert in Five Points.
Whilst departing, a tire on the Learjet burst, pilots told the control tower that they would be aborting take-off. The aircraft overran the runway, crashed through the airport boundary fence, crossed South Carolina Highway 302, and burst into flames. Both pilots died from smoke inhalation and burns in the minutes following the crash, Baker and Che died upon impact.
Following the crash, Barker had second and third-degree burns on sixty-five percent of his body, resulting in an 11-week hospital stay. In an interview with Men’s Health magazine back in May, Barker acknowledged that since the accident, he’s been working through PTSD. He also said that the crash inspired him to stop using drugs.
He noted that he was working to overcome his fear of flying, and that “someone very close to him” would give him 24 hours’ notice, at which point he would pack an overnight bag, get in a car, and head to the airport to board a flight. The drummer wouldn’t know when it was coming, but he would know exactly what to expect when he got the call.
“There’s a million things that could happen to me,” Barker said. “I could die riding my skateboard. I could get in a car accident. I could get shot. Anything could happen. I could have a brain aneurysm and die. So why should I still be afraid of airplanes?”
New images captured by TMZ show Barker boarding Kylie Jenner’s private jet alongside his girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and Cory Gamble as the group heads to vacation in Cabo, Mexico. This is the first time the Blink-182 drummer has gotten on a plane since he was involved in a deadly crash back in 2008 that killed over half the people on board.
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