What happened to Travis Barker, drummer of BLINK-182 in 2008? Here's all you need to know

Travis Barker is the drummer of the band BLINK-182. He is also in news these days because of the linkup rumours with the eldest Kardashian sister, Kourtney Kardashian. In 2008, he faced a severe accident that gave him third-degree burns and PTSD. He also had to undergo several surgeries. 

What happened to Travis Barker in 2008?

According to Men's Health, in 2008, Travis Barker was in the Learjet 60 plane that crashed in South Carolina. The crash took the lives of the plane's captain Sarah Lemmon and first officer James Bland who died due to smoke inhalation and burns; and Travis' security guard Charles Monroe Still, Jr. and Travis' assistant Chris Baker who died on impact. Only Travis and DJ Adam Goldstein aka DJ AM survived the plane crash, but with severe injuries. Travis Barker suffered from third-degree burns on sixty-five per cent of his body and had to undergo 26 surgeries and multiple skin grafts. He was in the hospital for eleven weeks. Since then, Travis Barker has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has not flown in an aeroplane. Almost a year later from the plane crash, DJ AM died from a drug overdose. 

The accident happened when the occupants of the plane heard a loud bang. Sparks were emanating from the plane and this was seen by the traffic controllers. The pilots of the plane decide to abort the takeoff after a tire had blown out. Barker and Goldstein had reported that the plane felt "out of control" and it was swaying back and forth. The aircraft overran the end of the runway and crashed through the airport boundary fence. The plane burst into flames shortly after reaching the embankment. The fire was brought under control after an hour of the incident.

Travis Barker on living healthier and quitting prescription drugs

Following the near-fatal accident in 2008, Travis has adapted to a healthier lifestyle. In an interview with Men's Health, he said that the incident motivated him to quit abusing prescription drugs. He was "never a drinker" but he used to smoke "an excessive amount of weed" before the plane crash. He also had the habit of eating painkillers which began his way of coping with his fear of flying in the aeroplanes after the crash. The painkiller habit depleted his body of much-needed calcium and he developed osteoporosis. 

He had to frequent the hospital for surgeries, and he used to get conscious because his opioid tolerance was quite high. He also mentioned that after one of his visits from the hospital, he flushed down all the medications down the toilet, including the stuff that he "really needed". Post that, he did not look back. He called the plane crash his "rehab" and losing his friends in the same as his "wake-up call". He probably wouldn't have quit if it wasn't for that plane crash. 

(Image: Travis Barker's Instagram)