The videos had the appearance of an attempted turn back after a power loss, with the tightness of the descending, low turn just after takeoff.

It used to be a very common thing in 135 for pilots to take their buddies along (and it wasn't that uncommon for "time building" by the guy in the right seat, on the non-rev legs). Some pilots used the empty right seat as a commodity, trading favors, and a few would sell the empty legs...until employers figured out they could do the same.

Whatever the case, reports about aviation in the popular media aren't known for their accurate detail.