We had a local 18 yr old girl thrown from their parents car and killed last week. Not wearing her seat belt in the back seat. Yep, several stopped to video and take pics with their phones before even trying to render aide. There is a time and place to drag the phone out.
They don't know how. Either out of laziness or stupidity or both.
But they've got that record button figured out.
Same thing with the people filming the airplane, really. Most were dialing 911 hoping someone with a clue would show up to tell them what was going on.
The one video has audio of a guy in the background calling 911 asking them to get the FAA or the NTSB or someone to do something. He also said "this guy has done this before". Ignoring that last part since it may or may not have been the same guy in the same airplane, the general public's reaction to airplanes flying low is pretty much...
"ERMAGHERD! Send someone who knows WTF is going on! Quick!"
My grandfathers generation, well no cell phones... They would have wisely just watched the moron doing his stunts, crashing, and they would have hopped in the pickup truck to go see if the guy survived.
They wouldn't have watched it on the news ten minutes after it happened in another State and no one would be making a big fuss about it except the town busybody, who would also be wisely watched and ignored.
We haven't adjusted emotionally as humans very well to the instant everywhere "breaking news" modern mentality yet. At least here on PoA we all know the pilot was doing something stupid and reckless that he was trained against doing. Imagine the level of freak out of the average non-pilot who wonders if all of us are that stupid and dangerous. Now export that freak out nationwide via the Internet.
Is it such a surprise we are turning into a nation of scared ninnies?
The TV showing us flaming death from the sky and asking inane questions like, "We don't know where the airplane was coming from or going to yet, nor if it was on a flight plan! We will find out for you. Stay tuned for more fear, uncertainty, and doubt, right after this cute insurance commercial with a gecko."