A RELATIVELY NEW C421 PLT; CARRYING 4 PAX; DECIDED TO DIVERT DUE TO TSTM CELL ACTIVITY. HE SUCCUMBED TO EMOTIONAL PRESSURE FROM A PAX AND CONTINUED TO THEIR DEST. APPARENTLY; THEY EXPERIENCED EXTREME TURB AND ALL WERE FRIGHTENED.

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I WAS FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM PERRYVILLE; MO; TO MOLINE; IL; WITH 4 PAX. ABOUT 85 NM FROM MOLINE; MY RADAR SHOWED 2 STORM CELLS THAT APPEARED TO BE STRAIGHT AHEAD AND JUST S OF MOLINE. IT LOOKED AS THOUGH I COULD FLY BTWN THE CELLS BY DEVIATING TO THE W. PEORIA APCH TOLD ME ABOUT THE STORMS IN THE MOLINE AREA; AND GAVE ME PERMISSION TO DEVIATE AS NECESSARY. I WAS HANDED OFF TO QUAD CITY APCH AT 6000 FT AND THEN CLRED; PLT'S DISCRETION; TO 2400 FT. AS I GOT CLOSER TO MOLINE; THE CELLS STARTED TO LOOK WORSE ON THE RADAR AND APPEARED TO FORM 1 LARGE CELL. I FELT THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO LAND AT GALESBURG THAN TO FLY INTO THE CELL; WHICH WAS BTWN GALESBURG AND MOLINE. I TOLD THE PAX THAT THERE WAS A STRONG TSTM JUST S OF MOLINE AND SAID THAT I THOUGHT WE SHOULD LAND AT GALESBURG. 3 OF THE PAX RELUCTANTLY AGREED; THE 4TH BECAME VERY ANGRY AND WANTED TO LAND AT MOLINE. IT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE THAT HE WOULD REACT THAT WAY. I HADN'T BEEN AROUND PEOPLE WHO ACT THAT WAY BEFORE. AT THAT POINT I COULD SEE GALESBURG PASSING BY; BENEATH A THIN BROKEN LAYER OF CLOUDS. THAT IS WHEN I HAD THE WORST LAPSE OF JUDGEMENT IN MY LIFE AND DECIDED TO PRESS ON TO MOLINE IN ORDER TO PLEASE THE PAX. I SPENT THE NEXT 10-15 MI FLYING THROUGH TURB LIKE I HAD NEVER IMAGINED. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CELL THERE WERE SCATTERED CLOUDS; AND A VISUAL APCH WAS MADE INTO MOLINE. THE PAX AND I WERE GLAD TO BE ON THE GND AND I WAITED UNTIL THE STORM HAD COMPLETELY PASSED THROUGH THE AREA BEFORE RETURNING TO GALESBURG; THE AIRPLANE'S BASE. I FEEL THAT MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH LESSER STORMS HAD LULLED ME INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. TRAINING IN INTERPING THE RADAR MAY HAVE MADE ME REALIZE HOW STRONG THIS STORM WAS; AND BOLSTERED MY RESOLVE TO LAND AT GALESBURG. I KNOW THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THROUGH THE STORM HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE IRATE PAX; AND WISH THAT I HAD BEEN BETTER PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THAT KIND OF PERSON. I KNEW THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT; BUT MY DESIRE TO PLEASE THE PAX; COUPLED WITH MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH TSTMS AND LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH AIRBORNE RADAR; CLOUDED MY JUDGEMENT AND I MADE THE WRONG DECISION.