Pilot Killed in Helicopter Crash Hours After Wedding in Georgia

Dave Fiji and his wife Jesni (Image/Facebook Jaison Mathew)

An Indian-origin pilot was killed in a helicopter crash in the US, just hours after marrying his long-time partner, turning what had been a joyous wedding celebration into a tragedy. The crash also claimed the life of the helicopter pilot, while the bride survived and is recovering in hospital. Dave Fiji and his wife Jesni had boarded a Robinson R66 helicopter after their wedding ceremony in Dawsonville, Georgia on Friday night. The helicopter was headed to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport as part of a special send-off arranged after the wedding, according to Atlanta News First. However, the aircraft crashed in a heavily wooded area near the wedding venue shortly after take-off. Around 400 guests had attended the couple's wedding at The Revere in Dawsonville. Recalling the celebrations, Dave's father George Fiji said his son had been overjoyed on his wedding day. "My son was so happy. I was just standing there watching my son and admiring him. He looked so handsome," he said. According to family members, Dave and Jesni met through church connections between South Carolina and Georgia before their friendship eventually blossomed into a relationship. "Friends who decided to become life partners," George said while describing the couple. The helicopter crashed before reaching its destination, prompting a major search operation in the wooded area. George Fiji said rescuers took several hours to locate the wreckage. "It took them awhile to locate the helicopter itself," he said. According to the family, Jesni remained trapped inside the wreckage for nearly six hours before emergency responders found her. Describing the heartbreaking scene relayed by his daughter-in-law, George said Jesni realised her husband had died beside her. "She said when she woke up she saw my son Dave resting on her bosom. She saw blood on him, and by then his body was completely cold. She's a nurse, so she knew he was gone," he said. George said Jesni suffered cuts and bruises but escaped without any broken bones. "She's devastated, but she's recovering," he added. Dave Fiji had dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood and later fulfilled that ambition by joining Delta Air Lines as a first officer, according to his father. Before the helicopter departed, George said his son had expressed concerns about deteriorating weather conditions and poor visibility. "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 said. According to George, Jesni later told him that the helicopter pilot responded by saying they would fly at a higher altitude. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the accident and has not yet determined the cause of the crash. As the family mourns the loss of Dave Fiji, George said their Christian faith is helping them cope with the tragedy. "Without God there would be many questions — why? 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," he said.