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Travis Barker Flies for the First Time Since 2008 Fatal Plane Crash

Flying is so ingrained in our daily life that it’s almost always the preferred means of travel even across shorter distances. And it makes sense that it be so: it’s faster and more convenient, and relatively affordable.
Travis Barker flies for the first time since 2008 crash, with Kourtney Kardashian by his side 28 photos
Photo: Twitter / Daily Mail
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For drummer Travis Barker (he of the Blink-182 fame), it stopped being a viable option in 2008, when his private jet crashed on the runway and exploded into a ball of fire, instantly claiming the lives of four people on board and sparing only him and Adam Goldstein, aka DJ AM. Goldstein would die one year later, having never recovered from the trauma, while Barker would continue to suffer from PTSD and survivor’s guilt well into 2021.

The recovery from the crash was prolonged, complicated and painful. Barker suffered burns on 65% of his body, had to undergo dozens of surgical interventions, and went through complete rehab because the painkillers no longer worked due to previous abuse on his part, as he recalled in a recent interview. But the worst part of it was the trauma, and he was still dealing with that when he gave that interview.

Still, for the first time in many years, he was finally softening on the possibility of flying again: he refused to continue living in fear, he said.

Barker confronted his biggest fear last weekend, as he boarded Kylie Jenner’s $72.8 million Global Express private jet with girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble, and headed to Cabos on vacation. The Daily Mail has photos of Barker boarding and de-planing the jet on arrival (in the tweet below), confirming what he was saying earlier this year: the day would come when he’d be told to pack a bag and he would willingly board a plane and fly again.

The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) ruled that the 2008 plane crash was caused by faulty maintenance of the aircraft and an operational error on the part of the pilot. The 2-year-old Learjet 60 private plane was running on under-inflated tires, which blew out on the runway during takeoff.

Even though the plane had reached the high speed of 144 knots when the explosion was heard, the pilot decided to abort the takeoff. Standard procedure is that takeoff is mandatory past V1, unless there’s some malfunction that makes flight impossible. Because of the decision to abort takeoff, the plane outran the runway, crashed and exploded upon impact.

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Editor's note: Gallery shows the Learmousine, a Learjet converted into a limousine.

About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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