Travis Barker is determined to fly again after surviving a horrific plane crash 13 years ago. The Blink-182 drummer, 45, sent out a tweet on June 25 that simply read, “I might fly again,” complete with an airplane emoji. The tweet has since racked up messages of support from fans.
I might fly again ✈️
— Travis Barker (@travisbarker) June 25, 2021
The musician developed a fear of flying from the trauma of the 2008 plane crash that killed four of the six people on board in South Carolina on September 20; Travis and fellow musician Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein were the sole survivors, suffering critical injuries and extensive burns. (Adam died a year after the accident from a drug overdose.)
Travis reflected on the accident in an interview with Men’s Health last month, calling the crash a “wake-up call” that helped combat his drug use. “People are always like, ‘Did you go to rehab?’ And I [say], ‘No, I was in a plane crash,'” he told the outlet of his “excessive amount of weed” and prescription painkillers use. “That was my rehab. Lose three of your friends and almost die? That was my wake-up call. If I wasn’t in a crash, I would have probably never quit.”
The drummer added that he underwent therapy to deal with PTSD and survivor’s guilt. “I was dark,” he said. “I couldn’t walk down the street. If I saw a plane [in the sky], I was determined it was going to crash, and I just didn’t want to see it.” The accident “haunted” him for a long time, but each day gets a little bit easier. “Now it’s been so many years, it’s getting easier for me,” Travis said. “There are days where I’ll wake up and never think about it.”
He revealed that he memorialized the victims via tattoos on his leg. “I have memorials on my legs for everyone that I lost in my plane crash, friends that have passed over the years, and my mom.”
Travis’ tweet comes after he treated girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian to a romantic getaway and showered her with gifts for her birthday in April. He even surprised her by having a plane fly overheard Laguna Beach, California with a banner that wished her a happy birthday.
