Who was Dave Fiji? Indian-origin pilot killed in US helicopter crash shortly after getting married

Tragedy strikes an Indian-origin family in the United States when their newlywed son dies in a helicopter crash shortly after their wedding. Dave Fiji, a 26-year-old pilot, was among the dead when the helicopter carrying the newlyweds crashed during their honeymoon.

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Here’s what we know

The incident occurred on May 29 when Robinson’s R66 crashed near the Dawsonville wedding venue where Fiji had just married his wife, Jesni, Atlanta News First reported. Fiji and his wife Jesni were heading for their honeymoon when tragedy struck.

The helicopter, bound for DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee, Georgia, never reached its destination.

Jesni reportedly survived the crash and is currently recovering at a metro Atlanta hospital. Officials have not released the identity of the helicopter pilot who was flying the Robinson R66 and was also killed in the crash.

The report indicates that the crash occurred in a heavily wooded area not far from the wedding venue. Neighbors told Atlanta News First, the plane crashed on a 10,000-acre property owned by the city of Atlanta and managed by the state as a wildlife management area.

According to George Fiji, Dave’s father, “it took a while to find the helicopter itself.” He added that the new bride was trapped in the rubble for almost six hours before rescuers found her.

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“She said when she woke up she saw my son Dave resting on her breast,” George said. “She saw blood on him and his body was completely cold at the time. She’s a nurse so she knew he was gone.”

George said his daughter-in-law suffered cuts and bruises, but no broken bones. “She’s devastated, but she’s recovering,” he added.

Who was Dave Fiji?

Dave was an Atlanta resident with family roots in Kerala. According to his father, he dreamed of flying since he was 10 years old and later became a first officer for Delta Air Lines.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Fiji studied at Middle Georgia State University from 2019 to 2023. Between November 2022 and January 2023, he worked as a driver’s assistant for UPS. He then started working as an Amazon associate at Jo May Logistics.

He then worked as a certified flight instructor at Middle Georgia State University from January 2024 to March 2025. In March 2025, he joined Endeavor Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air, and served as First Officer.

Here’s what happened before the crash

According to George, his son expressed concern about the weather before the launch when rain moved into the area on the night of May 29.

“Because my son was a pilot, he told the pilot that there was zero visibility, and when there is zero visibility like this, we never fly,” said the deceased’s father, who was later informed by Jesni that the pilot said he would fly at a higher altitude.

Dave’s father, George Fiji, who immigrated to the US years ago, is having a hard time coming to terms with the devastating loss. Reflecting on the last moments he spent with his son, George remembered how happy Dave had been on his wedding day.

“My son was so happy. I just stood there watching my son. He looked so beautiful,” George told the media.

According to the family, Dave and Jesni first met about ten years ago through their church community. What started as a friendship gradually developed into a romantic relationship that eventually led them to choose each other as their life partners.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident and has not yet determined what caused the helicopter to crash.