L'AIRBUS A TORONTO

BY BILL HUTCHINSON
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

A transatlantic commercial jet touching down yesterday in Toronto during a violent lightning storm skidded off a runway and burst into flames - but miraculously, all 309 people aboard survived, officials said.

Air France Flight 358 punctuated its journey from Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport with a roller coaster-like ride, barreling into a wooded ravine just after 4 p.m.

Stunned passengers said the quick-thinking crew of the Airbus A340 jet flung open the doors and ordered people to jump down inflatable chutes just moments before the plane burst into a giant fireball.

For the rest of the story:

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/334001p-285373c.html

I'm no insider, but I'll bet anything there's a Suit in Hollywood scrambling to secure the rights to somebody's story connected to this crash. It has all the makings for a two-part TV movie.

And best of all, it happened in Toronto. For once, Canada won't have to disguise its filming locations to stand in for someplace else!

Technically, as soon as a news story is broadcast, it should be considered a part of Toobworld. But where's the sport in that? MUCH better to get a TV movie out of the situation and have famous actors personify the real people involved in the story.

And if a major network grabs the rights, you can pretty much count on the use of some of the established stars of their own shows to play the major roles.

I don't know if there was one, but let's say there was a red-headed member of the crew, or one of the passengers who helped the others evacuate safely in that two minutes after the crash.

If CBS snares the rights, then David Caruso of 'CSI: Miami' is offered the role.

If NBC nabs the project, then John C. McGinley from 'Scrubs' gets the chance.

If Comedy Central makes their own version on the cheap, I hear Carrot Top is available.....

BCnU!
Tele-Toby