Need insights on human's behavior for a novel?

What would you do if all your stuff suddenly stopped working? You'd probably be really ticked off, yell and smack your computer. You wouldn't know anyone else was having the problem unless you physically bumped into someone for them to tell you EVERYONE was having the problem. You wouldn't know it was a city wide blackout.

If something is blocking the road everyone has to stop. Some people will be crushed by the falling plane, other people will be injured when the inevitable fire reaches the fuel tanks causing a massive eruption of jet fuel. The fumes and smoke will make people sick. If a plane is crashed some people might try to turn around, or would abandon their cars to run away if getting the car out wasn't feasible. People farther back wouldn't know what was going on and would honk their horns.

Because of the way traffic progresses there shouldn't be any accidents unless someone wasn't paying attention for some reason.

You know what, I actually appreciate how you took the time to ask this. Many movies we see which involve catastrophic events near busy intersections are dramatized. You always see a fat cab driver or fat truck driver slowly step out of his vehicle to look at the sky. "Is it a bird? Is it a plane?" No, it's unrealistic, so get back in your car.

For the first event, I could see many people in frustration. Their first action would be to try and reach the phone company over the lost connections of their mobile devices, then realizing, "Damn it! The whole neighborhood must be down!" Bingo, they can't use the land-line. Depending on the hour, people will then struggle to light their houses. Certain others may have a back-up generator.

The second question is a bit harder to answer. It depends on how the event occurs. Do people see it coming down before it hits? Or does it suddenly land on the freeway and catch drivers off gaurd? If they see it coming, the first instinct would be a flight response. People would be hitting their breaks, causing massive pile-ups, just to leap out of their vehicles and make a run for it. Others may try to make a U-turn and drive away. Needless to say, preoccupied drivers who do not see the plane coming will be colliding into the back bumper of stopped cars.

There should be no fat truck driver slowly stepping out of his car to stare at the sky(and why hollywood finds this tense is beyond me).

Now, if people don't see it coming, when the crash has ended and the smoke clears you will see each and every person for who they truly are.

1) The concerned helper

2) The cowardly and careless runner

They will either ignore their own injuries and fears to go towards the wreckage to aid others, or they will turn around and make a run for it.

~~ ††AnkhesenKheper††

I think first, many people would stand and be confused. Why has everything blacked out? If the plane hit, it would hit and the people unlucky would be crushed. People would be awoken to the situation quite suddenly, and would perhaps stop just for a moment. I think some people would attempt to help, some would run in fear the airplane would explode. In this, if the airplane hit, most people would run, because they are in danger and fear for their lives. An instinct for survival comes before all else. Though, some people do attempt to save others at the cost of their own lives. But most, they probably won't care if they push someone or crash into others in their attempts to escape. Everyone would try to be first out. However, if the situation is more calm, if its only a blackout or something, then people will gather and try to help each other. But in panic modes, people lose their normal thoughts.

They would probably see the airplane crashing since it's probably on fire or some lights inside are flickering. Most of the people would run away, some not making it, some being crushed by the plane (tragic but more than possible) yet some heroes would try and move aside, then try saving the people inside. I would run away really.