Friday night's plane crash saw drummer Travis Barker and music dj DJ AM luckily surviving but both being badly burned. Unfortunately four others did not survive. Those who died are pilot Sarah Lemmon, co-pilot James Bland, Chris Baker, and Charles Still. A statement, on behalf of all four victims' families was issued, "The families wish to thank fans from all over the world for their prayers and concern. Deepest sympathy is expressed to the loved ones of those who perished in the crash."
Our deepest sympathies to the families. The profiles of the victims are from thestate.com:
James Bland, known to friends as “Jim,” had recently retired as a pilot for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where he worked for 20 years.
Bland, 52, of Carlsbad, Calif., was co-pilot of the plane that crashed at Columbia Metropolitan Airport, killing him and three others and injuring performers Travis Barker and DJ AM.
Helicopter pilot Tim Ferrill had known Bland for 30 years. Ferrill said Bland flew jets to South America over the Pacific Ocean in the middle of the night, intercepting aircraft smuggling drugs.
Bland had logged more than 10,000 flight hours, flying more than five days a week for the past 20 years, Ferrill said. He had an airline transport pilot license, the highest level of certification.
Ferrill, a retired detective-sergeant with the Long Beach Police Department, was a co-pilot during two of Bland’s missions.
“To my knowledge, he’s never put a scratch on any kind of aircraft,” Ferrill said. “He was just an absolutely meticulous pilot. He’s the last guy I’d ever think something like that happening to.”
Bland is survived by his wife, Anne, and teenage daughter, Erin, said his friend of 20 years and neighbor, 67-year-old Maria Cleary.
Cleary was watching the television news early Saturday and jumped up from her chair when she learned he was among the victims.
“He’s a very nice fellow, and I’m heart broken,” she said.
Chris Baker:
As Travis Barker’s personal assistant, Chris Baker was a familiar face on the 2005-06 MTV reality series about the rocker’s chaotic family life, “Meet the Barkers.”
Baker, 29, of Studio City, Calif., was with Barker late Friday night when the private plane they were in crashed at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
Baker and three other people died in the crash, which left Barker and his performing partner, DJ AM, critically injured. The plane was traveling to Van Nuys, Calif.
According to E! Online, Baker was a newlywed who also was a father of a 2-year-old son. His nickname was “Little Chris.”
A comment posted on Baker’s MySpace page read: “RIP, Little Chris. ... Forever in our hearts.”
His family could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Sarah Lemmon of Anaheim Hills, Calif., was the pilot of the plane that crashed Friday night at Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
Lemmon, 31, died in the crash.
Her family could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Charles “Che” Still shared a love for Cadillacs and clothes with his boss, rocker Travis Barker.
Still, 25, worked as Barker’s security guard. He was one of four people who died late Friday night in a plane crash at Columbia Metropolitan Airport that critically injured Barker and DJ AM.
Still, who grew up in Riverside, Calif., had talked about opening a store featuring Barker’s clothing line, Famous Stars and Straps.
Still spoke to his mother, Thelma, at 11:35 p.m. Friday to tell her they were leaving Columbia then instead of Saturday afternoon.
“He just told me he wasn’t supposed to be coming back that night,” she said. “It’s almost like they went there and did the concert and turned around and came right back.”
Thelma Still told her son to call when he landed, and they both said, “I love you.”
“We never hang up without saying, ‘I love you,’” she said.
Shortly after the crash, she got a call from one of his friends who told her Still was dead.
“He was my baby,” she said.
Still graduated in 2001 from Centennial High School in Corona, where he played wide receiver on the football team, winning a conference championship, his mother said.
“There’s just an aura around him when he walks into a room,” she said. “He was very handsome, caring, loving and sharing. ... He made a very good man, and he made a very good friend and a good son.”
Still was a church-going Christian who enjoyed lifting weights and teaching others about fitness, friends said.
Neighbor Becky Avery last saw Still about six weeks ago when she stopped by his mother’s house to drop off roses to place on his father’s grave. Still’s father died of an illness two years ago.
Almost everyone in the neighborhood knew Still, Avery said.
“He was just friendly and outgoing,” she said. “And he was cute as a button.”
In addition to his mother, Still is survived by older brothers Miguel and Marlon and older sisters Mia and Monica.
Kristi Cheslaw, 39, grew up with Still.
“He was always happy, and he just always wanted to better himself and just make the right choices, and you knew he was gonna go places,” she said.
[Source]
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