Even worst for the mother and sister awaiting, Lapierre was with wife, two brothers and a sister... They all gathered a YHU and knew there was a chance that the friend pilot might cancel the flight; he didn't. The external pressure on the pilot, a friend wanting to help grieving family members get to their father's funeral, might be an important factor despite known marginal/uncertain conditions at destination a small island airport about 100 mi from the continent, and an aircraft with poor performances. One can imagine the guy feeling it almost impossible to say no... The irony is that Lapierre was not at all the type of guy to put undue pressure on people - to the contrary. What strikes me is that "self-induced pressure to deliver" is something I recognize myself in and was afraid of a few time in the past.