In 1990, a tragic plane crash shocked Long Island when Avianca Flight 52 slammed into a wooded hillside in Cove Neck. Out of 158 passengers, 73 lost their lives, and many survivors were left with severe injuries. Among them was 17-year-old Astrid López, who was pulled from the wreckage and pronounced dead—before miraculously surviving.

Decades later, Astrid’s survival has been a mix of pain and resilience. Recently, she visited the crash site with Dr. Victor Fornari, a psychiatrist who has been by her side since the accident. Standing on the grassy field where her life changed forever, Astrid hoped to reconnect with memories of her life before the crash. But all she felt was the familiar ache of her injuries. “Nothing,” she said in Spanish. “I remember nothing.”

Investigators later revealed that the crash could have been avoided, and many of the victims might have lived. For Astrid, the trauma has been overwhelming, and at times, she’s wished she hadn’t survived. “Sometimes I feel like I should have died,” she admits.

Today, Flight 52 is largely forgotten by the public, but for survivors and rescuers, the pain lingers. A recent Mass at the Church of St. Dominic in Oyster Bay brought together a few who still remember the tragedy.

Astrid’s story is a stark reminder of the long-term impact of such disasters—not just physically, but emotionally. Her journey is one of survival, but also of the ongoing struggle to find peace amidst the pain.