"Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Cox, of Coast Guard Joint Rescue Command Center Honolulu, said Thursday night that weather conditions in the search area were “challenging" with low visibility and blustery winds."
I decided to check for myself and while airport conditions might be far from what's going on at the Napali Coast, this does give an indication. Perhaps some other pilots in the area at the time will report the conditions.
https://aviationweather.gov/metar/da...=off&layout=on
Not the best conditions for a tour over the Napali....Perhaps you've been in difficult meteorological conditions up that way and can voice your experience. When I try and visualize a low ceiling with high winds, the last place I would want to be is near Nualolo Valley. Sad....When I learn of these tragedies, I always think of the "what if" scenarios that would have produced a different outcome. Still trying to understand why no ELT ping.
Aloha