This is obviously very sad. I was very young when I started flying, and at the minimum age for the licenses I earned. That had the unintended advantage of my looking young everywhere I flew. In hindsight, an aviation community in both Canada and the US was caringly watching over me. As I looked young, I would occasionally receive some words from the wise, even from elder pilots I did not know. "I wouldn't go now son....". As I have done a lot of advanced GA training to more established PPLs (nearly all male) who had found their way in life to a position where they could afford the big GA adventure, I have noticed a little more of a "type A" personality in many. Sure, this is how they earned their way into affording an expensive amphibian, but it didn't mean that they had the wisdom to decide not to go. They'd have it equipped very well, so it was capable, but their training, experience and wisdom was not there yet.
That, and the sense of (maybe even just self imposed) pressure to go when passengers are involved, particularly for night flights. The reminder lesson the VFR GA pilot group should have learned when JFK Jr. crashed should be refreshed from time to time - that fact that you can, does not mean you should, and passenger pressure should definitely not sway your "I think I won't go" into a decision to go.