Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker revealed that he and his 20-year-old daughter Alabama experienced intense premonitions before he survived a fatal 2008 plane crash in South Carolina. Speaking on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, the 50-year-old musician described the events surrounding the September 19, 2008 flight that killed four people.
Daughter's warning before departure
Barker said he had asked his manager a few days before the South Carolina concert if he could cancel the show because he was content staying home with his children. His manager told him that he could not cancel on such short notice, prompting Barker to travel to the performance.
When saying goodbye before the trip, his daughter Alabama wept uncontrollably, which Barker noted was unusual for her. She begged him not to go and warned him that the roof would come off the aircraft, leaving Barker wondering what her words meant.
Last-minute charter flight details
Barker explained that his group had not intended to leave immediately after the concert, but everyone was anxious to return home to Los Angeles. They chartered a private jet at the last minute, leaving Barker no time to ask his routine questions regarding aircraft maintenance and pilot background.
Six people boarded the private plane shortly before midnight. The passengers included Barker, disc jockey Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein, Barker's assistant Chris "Lil Chris" Baker, bodyguard Charles "Che" Still, pilot Sarah Lemmon, and co-pilot James Bland.
Crash survivors and final phone call
Barker recalled feeling an awful premonition at the airport, where the aircraft appeared unusually small to him. He called his father, who encouraged him to board. Before stepping onto the plane, Barker told his father to make sure his children were taken care of if anything happened to him, adding that all the warning signs were present.
Barker and Goldstein were the only two survivors of the crash, although both sustained injuries. Goldstein passed away one year later at the age of 36. Reflecting on the disaster, Barker admitted that his older self today would simply refuse to board the aircraft.
