A Year After Crash, Grieving Mother Still Seeks Answers at Airport

Every weekend, Lee Hyo-eun returns to the airport where her daughter died. She is one of many relatives still demanding answers about South Korea’s deadliest airline disaster. The tragedy occurred one year ago. Jeju Air flight 2216 was landing at Muan International Airport after a trip from Thailand. The plane hit a large group of birds. This caused severe damage. The pilots attempted a "belly landing," meaning landing without the wheels down. The aircraft then crashed into a structure at the runway's end. Of the 181 people on board, only two flight attendants in the rear of the plane survived. Lee's daughter and 177 others were killed. Lee and other families say the full truth is not yet known. They question the official investigation's findings. They want a more complete account of the decisions made before and during the emergency. South Korean authorities have stated the investigation followed international rules. They cited the bird strike as the direct cause. But critics argue that airport safety measures and pilot procedures must also be examined. For Lee, the weekend visits to the airport are a painful ritual. She says she will continue until she believes all facts are revealed. The fight for accountability, she insists, is far from over.