5 Famous Musicians Who Have Survived Terrifying Plane Crashes
We’ve all heard about the lives of musicians taken way too soon in deadly plane crashes. But there are also plenty of harrowing tales of those who actually survived to play another day.
The tendency for musicians to be on small, private planes for frequent jaunts around the country in order to make their grueling tour schedules work means that they’ve got more plane crash risk than the average person. Unfortunately, that risk has become a reality all too often. And even those who have survived their terrifying experiences have been left with serious health consequences and nightmarish memories.
Here are five famous musicians who had a brush with death in plane-related incidents.
Travis Barker
Blink-182 has been in the headlines lately as they’ve delighted Millennials everywhere with a reunion announcement. Travis Barker will be reuniting with Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus. Barker has also grabbed media attention for his relationship with Kourtney Kardashian.
Back in 2008, though, Barker experienced a horrifying plane crash experience that almost wiped it all away. In fact, Barker was so shaken up by his experience that he avoided planes for over a decade, only getting back on board one for his own wedding to Kardashian.
The incident happened on a private Learjet that was traveling from South Carolina to California. The crash took the lives of four of the other six passengers, including his security guard and the pilots. Barker dealt with severe burns in the aftermath and considered taking his own life.
2. Adam Goldstein (DJ AM)
Barker was not the only survivor of the ill-fated flight to California. His close friend Adam Goldstein (better known to fans as DJ AM) was also on the flight and also survived. Like Barker, Goldstein developed an insurmountable fear of flying following the incident. Goldstein also suffered third-degree burns to his body in the aftermath.
Unfortunately, the pain medication that he was prescribed during recovery seems to have been a trigger for reawakening addiction, according to a discussion with Dr. Drew Pinsky, as reported in the Seattle Times. Less than a year after the crash, he died of an overdose.
3. Bono
In 2014, famed frontman for U2, Bono, had an absolutely terrifying near-death experience while aboard a Learjet 60 en route from Dublin to Berlin.
While the plane was over Germany, the rear door of the private jet came off and dropped more than 15,000 feet to the ground below, according to NBC News. Luckily, the plane suffered no structural damage, and all on board were safe. Two pieces of luggage were lost in the incident, which seems a small price to pay when the possibilities are considered.
This wasn’t Bono’s first rough plane experience. Another included a private plane flown by none other than his good friend, Jimmy Buffett. As Taste of Country reports, Jamaican police got confused while following a drug smuggling tip and began firing on the plane’s passengers, “which cracked the windshield of the plane and punched holes in the fuselage.”
4. Ed Robertson
Ed Robertson is best known for his role as the singer for the Canadian band Barenaked Ladies. In 2008, he experienced a scary moment when his plane crashed in Ontario.
As CBC reports, Robertson was on board with his wife and two of their friends when the Cessna 206 float plane crashed into a wooded area. Robertson himself was piloting the plane when it stalled, and he managed to crash-land it into the wooded area without anyone on board getting hurt. They escaped through a window. Another friend found all four walking along the road — shaken but unharmed.
5. Post Malone
In 2019, singer Post Malone was on a plane that had to make an emergency landing after two tires blew out. Later investigations found the plane had multiple safety violations, according to USA Today. There were 15 people on board, and their combined weight actually exceeded the vehicle’s maximum.
The crash was deemed a “pilot-induced error,” but everyone on board made it out safely.
