Originally Posted by Wally Bird
Considering there would have been about 1km of 'flat grass' before meeting the 401, I imagine the airplane would have remained upright and come to a (rapid and somewhat uncomfortable) stop. Maybe a gear collapse, remote possibility of fire, but much preferable to what actually happened.
Hint: look at a map, don't trust the media.
If the ravine wasn't there it would have hit the embankment with the runway approach lights on top on the west side of the ravine. It wouldn't have been a comfortable stop that way either. Actually I think the plane's fuselage remained remarkably intact considering the circumstances.