Travis Barker seriously injured in plane crash

Former Blink 182 drummer and recent Rhythm cover star Travis Barker was involved in a serious plane crash in Columbia on Friday night after the private jet he was travelling in came off the runway as it was taking off and came to a stop, engulfed in flames, on the embankment of a nearby five lane motorway. Travis and his current touring partner DJ AM were lucky enough to escape the burning plane but over the weekend both were in hospital in a critical but stable condition.

Reports suggest that Barker was burnt from the waist down whilst DJ AM suffered burns to the hands and head. The medic treating them, Dr Fred Mullins, said that both had suffered second and third degree burns in the crash, but are expected to make a full recovery. He also added: "Anybody who can survive a plane crash is pretty lucky".

Unfortunately four others on the flight died from their injuries including Travis' security guard Che and his assistant Chris Baker (often referred to as 'Lil Chris). Members of the Rhythm time had the pleasure of meeting 'Lil Chris in the past and his loss is unfathomable.

All at Rhythm wish Travis and DJ AM a swift recovery and our condolences go out to the family and friends of all those who lost their lives on Friday.

We will bring you more news on Travis' recovery as we get it.

Chris Barnes

I'm MusicRadar's eCommerce Editor. In addition to testing the latest music gear, with a particular focus on electronic drums, it's my job to manage the 300+ buyer's guides on MusicRadar and help musicians find the right gear for them at the best prices. I dabble with guitar, but my main instrument is the drums, which I have been playing for 24 years. I've been a part of the music gear industry for 20 years, including 7 years as Editor of the UK's best-selling drum magazine Rhythm, and 5 years as a freelance music writer, during which time I worked with the world's biggest instrument brands including Roland, Boss, Laney and Natal.