A Georgia bride was trapped beside her dead husband for nearly six hours after a helicopter carrying the newlyweds crashed on their wedding night, according to a lawsuit.
Jesni Sam married Dave Fiji on May 29 at The Revere, a wedding venue in Dawsonville, roughly an hour from Atlanta. But moments after the ceremony, the couple’s celebrations turned into what the lawsuit described as “an unimaginable nightmare.”
Following the wedding festivities, the newlyweds boarded a Robinson R-66 helicopter for a planned “helicopter send-off,” a promotional experience offered by the venue, the filing said.
According to the lawsuit, The Revere had hired Atlanta-based Prestige Helicopters to operate the flight for the couple.
Within minutes of takeoff, however, the helicopter crashed into trees in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area. Dave, a 25-year-old Delta Airlines pilot, was killed in the Georgia helicopter crash, the lawsuit said.
The crash also claimed the life of Nikhil Nargundkar, who was piloting the aircraft.
Jesni survived the initial impact but suffered severe injuries and remained trapped inside the mangled wreckage, according to the filing.
The bride was forced to remain next to her deceased husband for almost six hours before first responders were able to work through the wreckage and rescue her, the lawsuit alleged.
Dave Fiji, 25, died on his wedding day when the Robinson R-66 helicopter carrying him and his bride, Jesni, crashed in a Georgia woodland area
First Officer Fiji joined Endeavour Air, a Delta Air Lines subsidiary, in March 2025 and reportedly voiced concerns about the weather before boarding the helicopter
Nikhil Nargundkar was piloting the helicopter and also died in the crash
The lawsuit accuses The Revere and Prestige Helicopters of failing to properly assess the weather and negligently proceeding with the flight despite hazardous conditions.
Fiji’s mother, Phebah, told Fox that the flight was initially expected to be canceled because of concerns about the weather.
“However, when the chopper came in, the pilot was very confident that it wouldn’t be an issue, even though it had started raining,” she said.
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Phebah said her son also expressed concerns about poor visibility before the helicopter took off.
The filing references National Transportation Safety Board weather data indicating that the area could have experienced rain, fog and low clouds. Advisories were also in place for thunderstorms, limited visibility and mountain obscuration.
Andrew Robb, a partner at Robb & Robb LLC, the firm representing Jesni, told Fox 5 that his client is seeking answers and accountability for what she and her husband endured. He said she “will fight to ensure that no newlywed couple ever suffers anything like this again.”
“In a matter of minutes, Jesni went from celebrating the happiest day of her life to experiencing something almost impossible to comprehend,” Robb said.
A friend remembered Fiji on Facebook as a “bright, kind and remarkable young man” who was “gone far too soon”
Fiji’s parents, George and Pheba Fiji, said that the wedding had been ‘perfect’ and their son had a ‘glow’ to him as he stood at the altar in Dawsonville, Georgia
The bride suffered injuries to her hip, leg, neck, arm, fingers and stomach.
It additionally lists dizziness, headaches, loss of balance and extensive scarring while she allegedly continues to experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, grief, anxiety and fear of flying.
The suit mainly seeks to compensate medical expenses, rehabilitation, pain, emotional suffering and permanent scarring.
She and Fiji’s estate are also seeking damages related to his death, like lost income, funeral expenses and loss of companionship.
The claims are allegations that have not been proven in court. The companies’ responses were not included in the records provided.
A specific compensation amount is not listed in the filing as it asks a jury to determine damages.
The Daily Mail contacted Robb & Robb LLC for comment. The law firm previously represented Vanessa Bryant in litigation related to the helicopter crash that killed her husband and NBA star, Kobe.