Nick Lachey Feared Jessica Simpson Was in Toronto Plane Crash  8/4/05

Nick Lachey was especially shocked when he learned of Tuesday's (02AUG05) plane crash in Toronto - because his wife Jessica Simpson had left the city just a day beforehand.

An Air France jetliner carrying 309 passengers and crew members skidded off a runway and plunged into a ravine during a heavy thunderstorm in the Canadian city, but everyone aboard miraculously escaped before the plane was consumed by flames.

And Lachey admits the news was rather unsettling for him, particularly because his wife had just flown out of the city.

He says, "I was running on the treadmill in the gym and I'm watching one of the news channels and I see this plane burning. I'm thinking, 'My God, how catastrophic.'

"Jessica had just flown out of Toronto the day before and I'm thinking it was really kind of freaky. And then for them to say no one died, just unbelievable."

And the former 98 Degrees star now hopes his wife will take heed of his aircraft safety advice.

He explains, "I tell Jessica all the time: 'When they say, "Put on your seatbelt," it's actually for a reason. I feel like a father saying that to her, but it's true. If you don't have your seatbelt on, and something like this happens that you're able to survive and walk away from it could make all the difference in the world."