Update on plane crash and tragic twist as to why Travis Barker and DJ AM were on plane

As we reported earlier, Travis Barker and celebrity music spinner, DJ AM were critically injured after a Learjet 60 crashed during takeoff from South Carolina’s Columbia Metropolitan Airport, just before midnight on Friday. The pals, who recently performed as the ‘house band’ at the MTV Video Music Awards, were passengers on a California-bound Learjet, to Van Nuys, CA.

There is perhaps an ironic tragic twist for how these two ended up on this fateful plane ride in the first place. It all started some time yesterday, when Barker’s assistant, Chris Baker, told the guys that his wife was going into labor. Barker told him that he would do everything in his power to get Baker back to the hospital in time.

The quickest way back to Van Nuys was that Learjet. TMZ was told Barker usually won’t fly on private jets, but made an exception for what was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of Baker’s life.

The plane crashed shortly after midnight, killing four people — including Chris Baker. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families. Baker’s wife went into labor early this morning. Baker has another young child as well.

Supposedly Travis and DJ AM saved their own lives after their plane crashed by jumping out the door of the burning plane, almost immediately after the small jet came to a halt.

The former Blink 182 drummer, Barker, and DJ AM are in critical condition and being treated for severe burns at an Augusta, Georgia burn center.

Barker was transported by ground to the burn facility from the site of the crash. DJ AM was airlifted. TMZ is reporting Travis Barker has been burned from the waist down, but he is expected to survive the plane crash. DJ AM’s face was severely burned and is being tended to right now.

The plane crash is still under investigation, however, during a press conference late Saturday morning a spokeswoman for the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the plane overran the airstrip and proceeded to run into a number of the airport’s lights and antenna.

Air traffic controllers reportedly “saw sparks coming from the runway” before the crash. Investigators don’t know if that was from the aircraft or its engines.

Travis and AM were in Columbia, South Carolina Friday night for a T-Mobile sponsored concert at Five Points, a popular shopping district.

Musicians Perry Farrell and Gavin DeGraw were also part of the festivities. Their reps have confirmed that they WERE NOT on the plane that crashed.

Update: Sources are now saying the story that Baker’s wife was in labor prompting the hasty return are false!