And the winner is......
........Deeper!
You are correct. I began working for the same company shortly after said accident. The pilot was fired. Brutal winds on West Maui, however the pilot had been flying there for a long time and should have known better. It was probably tail wind/downdraft, as the wind coming up and out of those valleys and gulches does some pretty nasty stuff.
Most accidents can still be attributed to one thing.......pilot error. And, as in this case, it's normally the basic stuff that get's you.
So, yes, let's remove those bloody clapping hands please.