Travis Barker will open up like never before when he relives surviving a plane crash in the new Hulu documentary Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear. The fiery crash left the Blink-182 drummer’s body with burns on 65% of his body, and he needed 27 surgeries to recover. Four people were killed.
But Barker wasn’t the only survivor. His longtime friend and collaborator, DJ AM (Adam Michael Goldstein), also made it out of the crash alive, only to die less than one year later.
Scroll down to learn about the accident, what happened to DJ AM in the aftermath, and more.
What happened to DJ AM?
DJ AM was one of two survivors of a plane crash on September 19, 2008. They were taking the private twin-engine Learjet from a show in South Carolina back to Los Angeles and were onboard with Chris “Lil Chris” Baker (Barker’s assistant), Charles “Che” Still (Barker’s bodyguard), pilot Sarah Lemmon, and co-pilot James Bland.
Despite the plane being cleared to fly, a witness noticed sparks coming from near the wheels as the aircraft took off. Lemmon attempted to abort, but the plane flew through a fence and a five-lane highway before crashing and exploding.
Baker, Still, Lemmon, and Bland all died in the crash, but a nearby witness noticed Barker and DJ AM “beating off flames from their bodies” after escaping the plane. “They told me they slid down the wing of the plane. They were in shock,” the resident told People.
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
DJ AM had burns on his scalp and was airlifted to the hospital. After skin grafting surgery on September 21, he was listed in critical but stable condition. He had two more skin grafting surgeries upon his return to Los Angeles.
The DJ later recalled seeing Barker on fire as they exited the aircraft. He said some of his own burns were from putting out the flames on Barker by smothering him with his body. “I burned my fingers taking [his sock] off,” DJ AM added.
DJ AM was able to return to work shortly after the crash, but less than one year later, on August 28, 2009, he was found dead in his New York City apartment.
How did DJ AM die?
DJ AM died from an accidental drug overdose at the age of 36. Before the crash, he had been sober for 11 years after a failed suicide attempt in 1997. There was a bag of cocaine, two pipes, and prescription pills found with his body when he died.
While many have wondered whether PTSD from the crash led to his relapse, friends said they did not notice him falling back into old patterns. “He was in pain from the accident, but he was happy to be alive,” one pal told People. “He was always looking for peace. And maybe he’s found it.”
The New York City Medical Examiner’s office said that eight different drugs were found in DJ AM’s body during an autopsy.
Was DJ AM in a relationship?
DJ AM was in a relationship with Nicole Richie from 2003 to 2006. They got engaged in 2005 before their split. Richie attended DJ AM’s funeral in 2009.
Jeff Vespa/WireImage
In 2007, he dated Mandy Moore for two months. They had already known each other for years and began a romantic relationship after reconnecting at a New Year’s party. The exes remained amicable after the split and Moore visited DJ AM in the hospital after the plane crash.
At the time of his death, DJ AM was in an on/off relationship with model Hayley Wood. Wood, who was 22 at the time, shut down speculation that DJ AM’s relapse was because they had broken up, telling Us Weekly, “Any indication that this horribly tragic accident happened because of a rumored breakup is not only untrue but disgusting. We were very much together at the time of his passing, and I love him very much.”
Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear, Streaming, Thursday, August 13, Hulu