independent and unofficial
Prince fan community
Welcome! Sign up or enter username and password to remember me
Forum jump
Forums > General Discussion > DJ AM And Former Blink 82 drummer, Travis Barker Critically Injured In Private Plane Crash In South Carolina
« Previous topic  Next topic »
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
Author

Tweet     Share

Message
Thread started 09/20/08 11:51am

2elijah

DJ AM And Former Blink 82 drummer, Travis Barker Critically Injured In Private Plane Crash In South Carolina

DJ and drummer had just performed in free show in Five Points.

Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and DJ AM were critically injured in a plane crash Friday night (September 19) in Columbia, South Carolina. They had just performed at a free T-Mobile-sponsored show in the Five Points area, along with Perry Farrell and headliner Gavin DeGraw.

Though early reports had suggested that DeGraw may have been on the plane at the time of the crash, DeGraw's father, Wayne, told MTV News that he'd spoken to his son Saturday morning and that he was fine. Farrell's manager, Peter Katsis, confirmed that Farrell was not on the plane.

The crash took place just before midnight on Friday and involved a twin-engine private Learjet with six passengers onboard, according to Lynne Douglas, public information officer for the Columbia Metro Airport. While taking off, the plane, which never left the ground, overran the runway, struck an antenna array and several lights, and began sending up sparks. It skidded off the end of the runway, through a perimeter fence separating the airfield from a nearby roadway, and then crossed the roadway, coming to a stop on an embankment. The plane caught fire on impact. Douglas said two passengers — who were later confirmed to be AM and Barker — escaped the aircraft while it was on the ground, while the other two passengers and crew members died in the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed these details during a press conference, which was held shortly after 11:30 a.m. A 10-member team from the NTSB, along with investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is on the scene, trying to determine what caused the crash. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen described the post-crash fire as "significant."

An eye witness told NBC news affiliate WIS that he saw a fireball crossing the road near the airport and then realized it was a plane. He saw jet fuel shoot out across the roadway and then saw two men, who were both on fire, patting each other down to extinguish the flames.

Beth Frits, a spokesperson for the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia, confirmed that AM (born Adam Goldstein) and Barker were transported to a hospital in Columbia, following the crash. They were transferred — AM by helicopter and Barker by ambulance — to the Still Center soon after. She told CNN that both men had "extensive burns."

Lexington County Deputy Coroner Brian Setree confirmed for MTV News on Saturday morning that three men and a woman were killed in the crash. Just after 10 a.m. Saturday, Setree identified two of the crash victims: the plane's pilot, Sarah Lemmon, 31, of Anaheim, California, and her co-pilot, James Bland, who was 52 and lived in Carlsbad, California. At 10:40, Setree confirmed that Barker's assistant, Chris "Little Chris" Baker, also died in the crash. He was 29, and lived in Studio City, California. TMZ.com is reporting that Baker, who appeared on MTV's reality show "Meet the Barkers," was newly married, and that his wife recently gave birth. At 11:30 a.m., Setree released the name of the fourth person who died: Charles Still, 25, of Los Angeles. He reportedly worked in a security capacity.

Barker, 32, and DJ AM, 35, were the house band for the 2008 VMAs.
[Edited 9/20/08 11:55am]
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #1 posted 09/21/08 9:08am

Sweeny79

Moderator

avatar

There is already a thread about this here: http://prince.org/msg/8/283023
In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Forums > General Discussion > DJ AM And Former Blink 82 drummer, Travis Barker Critically Injured In Private Plane Crash In South Carolina