Groom Dies In Georgia Helicopter Crash Hours After Wedding

Photo: Instagram

India-West News Desk

ATLANTA, GA – A wedding celebration turned tragic on May 29 when Indian-American pilot Dave Fiji was killed in a helicopter crash just hours after marrying his wife, Jesni, in north Georgia.

Fiji, a first officer with Endeavor Air, and the helicopter pilot died when their Robinson R66 crashed near Dawsonville shortly after departing from the wedding venue. Jesni survived and is recovering at a metro Atlanta hospital.

Nearly 400 guests attended the couple’s wedding at The Revere in Dawsonville earlier that day.

“My son was so happy,” Dave Fiji’s father, George Fiji, told Atlanta News First.

The couple met through church connections between Georgia and South Carolina, according to Fiji.

Following the reception, the newlyweds boarded a helicopter bound for DeKalb-Peachtree Airport.

The helicopter crashed in a heavily wooded area not far from the wedding venue and never reached its destination.

“It took them a while to locate the helicopter itself,” Fiji said.

According to Fiji, Jesni remained trapped in the wreckage for several hours before rescuers found her. He said she suffered cuts and bruises but no broken bones. “She’s devastated, but she’s recovering,” he said.

Fiji said his son, who had dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood, raised concerns about weather conditions before takeoff.

“Since my son was a pilot, he told the pilot that there is zero visibility and when there is zero visibility like this, we never fly,” Fiji said.

According to Fiji, Jesni later said the pilot responded that the helicopter would fly at a higher altitude.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and has not determined what caused the helicopter to go down.

As the family mourns the loss, Fiji said their Christian faith has helped them cope with the tragedy.

“God granted us a perfect wedding, and within a few hours everything changed into tragedy,” Fiji said. “The only place we can find answers and peace is in God.”