Dawson County, Georgia was the scene of a deadly helicopter crash that cut short what was meant to be a celebration of marriage and new beginnings.
Dave Fiji, a 26-year-old commercial pilot based in Atlanta, was killed after a chartered helicopter went down shortly after his wedding. He had just married his bride, Jesni, hours earlier in Dawsonville.
The helicopter, a Robinson R66, took off from The Revere venue in Dawsonville around 10:30 p.m. on May 29. The plan was a short flight toward Atlanta as part of a post-wedding departure.
Conditions changed quickly after takeoff. The aircraft crashed in a heavily wooded area in Dawson County, not far from where the ceremony had taken place.
Fiji was flying alongside helicopter pilot Nikhil Nargundkar, who also died in the crash. Both men were identified by relatives and confirmed through social media posts and media reports.
Jesni Fiji survived the impact. She was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to a metro Atlanta hospital, where she remained under medical care as of Sunday. She was reported to be a nurse.
Family members said Fiji had expressed concern about worsening weather before the flight. He was a first officer with Delta Air Lines, and his family originally came from Kerala, India.
Federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have opened a full inquiry into what caused the crash. A preliminary report is expected in the coming weeks, while a final determination could take months.
