Las Vegas Weekly

September 20, 2008 · 2:26 PM

Travis Barker and DJ AM in critical condition after fatal plane crash

By Robin Leach

Drummer Travis Barker and Vegas DJ Adam Goldstein were fighting for their lives this morning in a Georgia hospital's burn unit following a fiery midnight plane crash that killed the two pilots and an assistant of Travis.

Witnesses reported that Travis and Adam were thrown from the plane on impact and were on fire -- each trying to snuff out the flames from each other's body.

Photo: TVT

DJ AM at the opening of LAX.

Photo: TVT

Travis plays the drums.

The Learjet crashed on takeoff from a private airport in Columbia, S.C., after a concert there that starred Barker and DJ AM, along with Perry Farrell and Gavin DeGraw. It was believed that Farrell and DeGraw weren't aboard. The private jet apparently crashed through a fence at the end of the runway and onto a nearby road in flames.

Pilots Sarah Lemmon and James Bland apparently were killed along with Barker's assistant, Chris Baker, 29, nicknamed by Travis as "Little Chris."

DJ AM who is a partner in the LAX nightclub at the Luxor, was the one-time boyfriend of pop-personality Nicole Richie.

He has been the regular resident DJ at the Pure Management Group clubs on the Strip.

Photo: MTV

Travis Barker with ex-wife Shanna Moakler.

Travis, former Blink 182 drummer, is a regular Vegas visitor and was here just six weeks ago at a car rally at the Hard Rock hotel before taking off for an exhibition run at the Beijing Olympics. While married to former beauty-queen-turned-Playboy-model Shanna Moakler, the couple starred in their own reality series Meet The Barkers. He has regularly played drums at DJ AM turntable sets for the Pure group too.

One passenger who was killed was identified as 25-year-old Charles Still from Los Angeles. The plane, owned by Global Executive Aviation, was headed for the private and very celebrity-trafficked Van Nuys airport outside of Los Angeles.

Barker and Goldstein had performed together with former Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell and singer Gavin DeGraw at the South Carolina concert. Two weekends ago Travis and Adam played as part of the house band at the MTV Video Music Awards.

A spokesperson for the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Ga., has confirmed to MTV News that Adam and Travis were transported by emergency helicopter and ambulance from a hospital in Columbia, S.C., to the specialized burn treatment center because of "extensive bodily burns" and were in "life-threatening critical condition."

Luxe Life will continue to monitor this breaking story. Meantime our thoughts and prayers are with Travis and Adam as they undergo treatment for their burn and crash injuries.

Photo: TVT

Travis Barker

Photo: Jet

Travis on drums during his most recent visit to Vegas.

Photo: Pure Management Group

Nicky Hilton, DJ AM and David Katzenberg

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