Dawsonville, GA, June 1, 2026: What began as a joyous wedding celebration for a young Indian American couple from metro Atlanta ended in tragedy Friday night when a helicopter carrying the newlyweds crashed shortly after takeoff from a Dawsonville wedding venue.
Dave Fiji, a 25-year-old Delta Air Lines pilot of Kerala heritage and a resident of Gwinnett County, was killed when the Robinson R66 helicopter crashed in a wooded area near Dawsonville around 10:30 p.m. on May 29. The helicopter pilot also died in the crash. Fiji’s new bride, Jesni (also reported as Jessni in some accounts), survived and is recovering at a metro Atlanta hospital.
According to family members, the couple had just celebrated their wedding at The Revere, a popular North Georgia wedding venue, attended by approximately 400 guests. The helicopter ride was intended as a special sendoff before the couple spent the night in downtown Atlanta…