My guess is he was very overloaded and either ran out of fuel (doubtful because of the fire) or reduced speed too much for the overweight condition. Just a guess, love planes but don’t fly.
It’s sad for the kids and for their parents.
Sounds like good intentions don’t mean squat if you don’t know the math.
The weather here in SW montana is terrible. We have winter storm warnings and advisories all over the place. God help the families.