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A tragic helicopter crash on Friday night claimed the lives of a Georgia groom and the pilot, turning what was meant to be a joyous wedding sendoff into a nightmare. The crash left the groom’s widow trapped beneath her deceased husband for six agonizing hours.
Jesni Fiji, the bride, survived the crash with only minor injuries, including cuts and bruises. Upon regaining consciousness on Saturday morning, she was faced with the devastating scene of her husband, Dave Fiji, lying lifeless beside her. This heart-wrenching discovery was shared by Dave’s father with Atlanta News First (ANF).
“She was crying on the phone, asking, ‘What happened? What happened?'” recounted George Fiji to ANF, as Jesni was being treated at a hospital in metro Atlanta. “I didn’t know what she was talking about,” he added, still grappling with the shock of the incident.
The ill-fated journey involved a Robinson R66 helicopter, which was intended to whisk the newlyweds from their celebration in northern Georgia to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport. From there, they were to head to a hotel in the Atlanta area to begin their married life together.
The helicopter crash in Dawson County, Georgia, took place shortly after the couple’s wedding festivities. Tragically, both the pilot and the groom, Dave Fiji, lost their lives in the incident.
“She said when she woke up she saw my son Dave resting on her bosom,” George Fiji said. “She saw blood on him, and by then his body was completely cold. She’s a nurse, so she knew he was gone.
“She’s devastated, but she’s recovering,” he added.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash and has not determined what caused the helicopter to go down near The Revere, a Dawsonville, Georgia, wedding venue hosting about 400 guests, according to the report.
“It took them awhile to locate the helicopter itself,” George Fiji said.
The aircraft went down on a 10,000-acre tract owned by the City of Atlanta and managed by the state as a wildlife management area.
The weather reportedly was tricky with rain, but the helicopter pilot told the newlyweds they would fly at a higher altitude, according to the father.
Dave Fiji’s wedding night sendoff turned tragic and claimed his life. (Endeavor Air)
“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,” George Fiji said, recalling the exchange through his now widowed daughter-in-law.
Dave Fiji had wanted to fly since he was 10 and became a first officer for Delta Air Lines’ Endeavor Air, planning a dramatic wedding sendoff that turned tragic.
“My son was so happy,” George Fiji said.
Endeavor Air issued its condolences for Fiji, who started with Endeavor in March 2025 and was based in Atlanta.
Endeavor Air is a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Endeavor First Officer Dave Fiji,” it wrote in a statement to its employees. “Dave tragically lost his life in a helicopter accident on Friday, May 29, shortly after celebrating his wedding.
“The loss of a colleague and friend is deeply felt, and we know this news may be especially difficult for those who knew and worked alongside him.”
Dave and Jesni met through church connections between South Carolina and Georgia, according to the grief-stricken father who described them as “friends who decided to become life partners.”
“I was just standing there watching my son and admiring him,” he said of the wedding. “He looked so handsome.”
As the family mourns, George Fiji told ANF their Christian faith has helped them face a wedding night that turned from celebration to catastrophe within hours.
“Without God there would be many questions — why?” he said. “God granted us a perfect wedding, and within a few hours everything changed into tragedy. The only place we can find answers and peace is in God.”
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