ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A Gwinnett County groom was killed in a helicopter crash just hours after saying “I do.”

Dave Fiji and a helicopter pilot died Friday night when a Robinson R66 crashed near the Dawsonville wedding venue where Fiji had just married his wife, Jesni.

The pilot has been identified as Nikhil Nargundkar, according to the Dawson County coroner.

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“My son was so happy,” Dave’s father, George Fiji, said.

Jesni survived the crash and is recovering at a metro Atlanta hospital.

The wedding

About 400 guests attended the couple’s wedding Friday night at The Revere in Dawsonville.

“I was just standing there watching my son and admiring him,” George said. “He looked so handsome.”

The couple met through church connections between South Carolina and Georgia and eventually became, as George described them, “friends who decided to become life partners.”

At the end of the celebration, Dave and Jesni boarded a Robinson R66 helicopter bound for DeKalb-Peachtree Airport. Family members said the flight was intended as a special sendoff before the newlyweds spent the night at a downtown Atlanta hotel.

The helicopter never reached its destination.

The crash

The helicopter crashed in a heavily wooded area not far from the wedding venue.

Neighbors told Atlanta News First 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.

“It took them awhile to locate the helicopter itself,” George Fiji said.

According to George, Jesni remained trapped in the wreckage for nearly six hours before rescuers found her.

She survived, but her husband and the pilot did not.

“She said when she woke up she saw my son Dave resting on her bosom,” George said. “She saw blood on him, and by then his body was completely cold. 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 said.

Before takeoff

Dave had dreamed of flying since he was 10 years old and later became a first officer for Endeavor Air, his father said.

As rain moved into the area Friday night, George said his son expressed concerns about the weather before takeoff.

“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 the pilot said they would fly at a higher altitude.

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

As they mourn, family members say their Christian faith is helping them cope with the loss.

“Without God there would be many questions — why?” George 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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