Socialite Says Now She's Scared To Go On Small Airplanes

The two survivors of a Learjet 60 that crashed on takeoff from Columbia, SC last month are close friends of Paris Hilton, and their recent brush with death has caused her to reevaluate the safety of air travel on "small planes."

Somewhat ironically, Hilton was flying on a plane bound for Milan, Italy when she heard about the tragedy and her friends' miraculous survival, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Apparently shaken by the news, Hilton said, "I couldn't believe it … I'm scared to go on small airplanes now … I've been on that sort of plane and now I'll never go one again."

Aboard a Learjet 60 bound for Los Angeles, musicians Travis Barker and Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein were the only survivors when the plane crashed on takeoff from Columbia Metropolitan Airport in Columbia, SC on September 19, as ANN reported.

Cockpit voice recorders revealed the pilots believed one of the Learjet's tires had blown on takeoff roll, a theory substantiated by a National Transportation Safety Board investigation.

All four other occupants of the plane, including the pilots, died in the crash. Barker and Goldstein, who both received substantial burns, have since been released from the hospital.

Despite the recent crash, the Learjet 60 has an excellent safety record.

A search of the NTSB accident database turned up just one accident report involving a Learjet 60, in which the aircraft was substantially damaged by an off-runway excursion after landing. No injuries to the passenger or crew were reported.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov