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Two Indian-origin pilots die in Georgia crash
The newlyweds were headed for their honeymoon when the helicopter went down.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 01, Jun 2026
- 17:07 EDT
- 62
Dave Fiji and his wife on their wedding day. / (Photo: Facebook@Jaison Mathew)
Two Indian-origin aviation professionals were killed when a helicopter carrying newlyweds crashed in Georgia hours after a wedding ceremony.
According to Atlanta News First, the victims were identified as Dave Fiji, 26, a pilot for Endeavor Air whose family traces its roots to Kerala, and helicopter pilot Nikhil Nargundkar. Fiji's wife, Jesni, survived the crash and is recovering in the hospital.
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Fiji and Jesni were married just hours before the crash at The Revere in Dawsonville, Georgia, where about 400 guests attended the ceremony and reception. Family members said the helicopter flight had been arranged as a sendoff before the newlyweds spent the night at a downtown Atlanta hotel ahead of their honeymoon.
Following the reception, the couple boarded a Robinson R66 helicopter piloted by Nargundkar. The aircraft was headed to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport when it crashed at about 10:30 p.m. in a wooded area of Dawson County near Mount Vernon Drive, not far from the wedding venue.
Jesni was the sole survivor of the crash. Atlanta News First reported that rescue crews took several hours to locate the wreckage because of the terrain. She remained trapped at the crash site until emergency responders reached her and was later transported to a metro Atlanta hospital.
Fiji's father, George Fiji, told the broadcaster that his son had expressed concerns about weather conditions before takeoff. Family members said rain had moved through the area and visibility was limited at the time of the flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash. The Dawson County Sheriff's Office, along with fire and emergency medical personnel, initially responded to the scene before the National Transportation Safety Board assumed responsibility for the investigation.
The cause of the crash has not been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation.
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