Travis Barker opens up on plane crash trauma, feeling he was 'next'

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker opened up about the fear and trauma he faced after surviving a 2008 plane crash that killed four people. He recalled his fear of being the 'next' to die after fellow survivor DJ AM passed away a year later.

Travis Barker recently opened up about the fear and trauma he faced after surviving a plane crash in 2008, saying the experience left him feeling like he was living in the horror film Final Destination. The Blink-182 drummer survived the crash along with his friend and collaborator Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein. The accident, which happened shortly after takeoff in South Carolina, killed four people.

Living with Fear and Survivor's Guilt

Speaking to PEOPLE, Barker recalled how his fear grew after Goldstein died the following year at the age of 36 from a prescription drug overdose. The drummer said he struggled with the thought that he could be the next person to die. "I would go from my tour bus to the hotel, and no one would see me," he recalled. "I would just hide out. I was so afraid. I was just waiting for impact in the bus. I was just like, 'Oh, I'm next. I'm going to go anytime.'"

Barker said losing Goldstein was especially difficult because they had both survived the same crash. He said the experience left him dealing with survivor's guilt. "You're never ready for that. You're never ready for one of your best friends to pass away, especially someone who just survived a plane crash with me."

The Path to Healing

The musician said that with time, things slowly became easier. "The further I got away from almost dying, things got a little bit easier," he said. Barker also said he now thinks about what his late friends would have wanted him to do and uses those thoughts to keep moving forward. "Those things help me push forward," he said.

Details of the Tragic Crash

According to the publication, Barker and Goldstein had been in South Carolina after performing a concert when their plane crashed shortly after takeoff. Barker suffered severe burns and underwent several surgeries and skin grafts during his recovery. Barker's assistant Chris "Lil Chris" Baker, his bodyguard Charles "Che" Still, pilot Sarah Lemmon and co-pilot James Bland died in the crash.

The drummer has also previously spoken about struggling with weed and prescription drug use after the accident. Barker's upcoming documentary Louder Than Fear is set to premiere on August 13 on Hulu and Disney+. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)