DJ AM and Travis Barker are still recovering in an Augusta, Georgia burn center after the Learjet they were on skidded off the runway and caught fire Friday night. The crash killed four people--two pilots and Barker's bodyguard and assistant--and is now believed to have been caused by a blown tire which impeded takeoff.

According to the coroner's report, the pilot and copilot died of smoke inhalation while Chris Baker and Charles Still, the assistant and bodyguard, were killed on crash impact. Barker and AM told police on the scene that they slid down the right wing of the plane in order to get away from the flames and helped each other to extinguish themselves.

Barker's ex-wife Shanna Moakler and AM's ex-girlfriend Mandy Moore have both arrived in Georgia and are visiting the burn center daily. With AM's parade of celebrity girlfriends--he has previously been linked to Nicole Richie, "Laguna Beach" star Kristin Cavallari and "Gossip Girl" guest star Michelle Trachtenberg--the star wattage of South Carolina can only increase, even in tragedy.

Related Stories:
· DJ AM, Travis Barker Expected To Recover After Plane Crash [Jaunted]
· Travis Barker's Latest Condition After Plane Crash [Ace Show Biz]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo from the duo's last concert: chasingthefleetinglight]]]> egw 2008-09-24T08:45:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/21/112543/747

The prognosis has improved for DJ AM and former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who were involved in a horrific plane crash in South Carolina on Friday night that claimed the lives of four others. A Learjet carrying the musicians and crew was taking off from the airport in Columbia following a concert when it skidded past the end of the runway and across a highway and caught fire.

The AP reported Sunday morning that a doctor at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta said he expects the two to make a full recovery, though he wouldn't say how long it could take. Barker was burned on his torso and lower body, while DJ AM suffered burns on his hands and part of his head.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, but air traffic controllers reported seeing sparks coming from the plane as it went down the runway. Looking at the photo of the wreck, it's hard to imagine anyone surviving, so the two rockers can consider themselves pretty lucky to be alive. Sadly, two of their colleagues and two experienced pilots were not so fortunate.

[Photo: AP/USA Today]

Related Stories:
· Doctor Expects Recovery for Two Musicians in Crash [Washington Post]
· S.C. Plane Crash Kills 4; Drummer, DJ Critically Injured [USA Today]
· Private Plane Travel [Jaunted]]]> Victor Ozols 2008-09-21T11:25:43-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/18/162919/003

Watch out, New York pedestrians! Even more glass panels and other assorted detritus are flying off buildings and crashing to the sidewalks below. The latest was a 1,500-pound window that smashed into a protective metal shed above the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street, injuring two people.]]> pbb 2008-08-18T16:30:12-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/18/151317/845

A house in the suburbs of Moscow was hit with a nearly sixty pound bag of cement after the Russian Air Force dropped it in an attempt to control the weather. The house-bombing accident occurred while planes were trying to secure good weather in advance of Russia Day celebrations on June 12.

No one was injured by the falling concrete, but the house was badly damaged. Russian Air Force officials told Reuters:

A pack of cement used in creating ... good weather in the capital region ... failed to pulverize completely at high altitude and fell on the roof of a house, making a hole about 80-100 cm (2.5-3 ft)

The accident was apparently the first mishap in over twenty years of Russian weather control activities.

Related Stories:
· In Russia, Sometimes It Rains Cement [Reuters]
· Moscow Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: IMDb]]]> Hunter Walker 2008-06-19T09:20:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/2/74620/20939

Friday's crane collapse on New York's Upper East Side was the city's second deadly crane accident in two months. The incident comes on the heels of similar crane calamities in Miami and Annapolis, Maryland.

Today Slate's Explainer feature delves into all of this crane collapse madness asking "Why Do Cranes Fall Down?." Slate says an average of 82 people are killed in crane accidents each year, but apparently

The cranes that do fall over tend to be of the smaller, mobile variety--as opposed to gigantic, fixed-tower cranes like those involved in both New York City accidents.

That should be at least a bit comforting for urban explorers.

The accidents in New York and Miami all occurred while the cranes were being fitted with additional sections for added height. This process--known as "jumping"--seems to be the riskiest thing about the big cranes, while according to Slate, overly heavy loads and electrical accidents are the most dangerous things about the small ones. Heads up!

Related Stories:
· Why Do Cranes Fall Down? [Slate]
· After Crane Collapse, Experts Call for More Tests [AP, via Google]
· New York Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of NYC collapse: Paul Brady]]]> Hunter Walker 2008-06-02T14:15:02-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/