Las Vegas Weekly

October 9, 2008 · 8:32 AM

Barker talks for first time about accident, injuries, recovery

By Robin Leach

Travis Barker

Photo: TVT

A badly burned Travis Barker hopes to be able to go home from a Los Angeles burn treatment center in about two weeks time. He revealed for the first time that he had severe third-degree burns from his feet up to his waist and on both hands and has undergone surgery after surgery. The 32-year-old former Blink-182 drummer escaped a private Learjet crash with celebrity DJ Adam Goldstein, who is a partner here in the LAX nightclub at the Luxor. They were the only survivors of a blazing midnight crash on Sept. 19 that killed the two co-pilots and two passengers, including Travis’ assistant Chris Baker.

“I’m just thankful to be alive. I’m just grateful to be here at all,” Travis told US Weekly magazine. “I’d always been afraid of flying. I hate planes, and my biggest fear ever is to be involved in a plane crash.”

Travis was originally transferred from the crash scene by ambulance to a Georgia burn center because he refused to be flown there by helicopter. He also refused to fly home to Los Angeles when he was released there 10 days ago. His ex-wife, Playboy model and Miss USA beauty queen Shanna Moakler, flew from California. The couple have two children: 2-year-old Alabama, and 5-year-old Landon. Travis’s father accompanied them home in an ambulance bus on the 48-hour road trip.

Said Travis: “I was too afraid to fly cross-country. I'm trying to have a quick recovery and play the drums again and be able to hold my kids again."

DJ AM was released from the hospital in time to attend the funerals of both passengers who died. FAA and NTSA officials said the plane’s cockpit voice recorder indicated the crew thought a tire blew on takeoff and they tried to abort. Doctors expect both Travis and Adam to fully recover after the treatments, which might take up to a year even after they leave the burn centers.

Share This