Delta Airlines Pilot Killed in Helicopter Crash on His Wedding Day

A Delta Air Lines regional first officer was killed on his wedding day after the helicopter carrying him and his wife to their honeymoon crashed in worsening weather near Dawsonville, Georgia.

Dave Fiji, 25, had just celebrated his wedding with his wife, Jesni, when the couple boarded a Robinson R66 helicopter for a planned flight to the Atlanta area. The aircraft went down in a heavily wooded area shortly after takeoff, killing Fiji and the helicopter pilot. Jesni survived the crash and was rescued after spending several hours trapped beneath the wreckage.

The couple had married earlier that evening at The Revere in Dawsonville, in a ceremony attended by hundreds of guests. As rain and fog moved into the area, visibility deteriorated significantly. Family members said Fiji himself a Delta Air Lines first officer expressed concern about the weather before departure, noting that conditions were approaching “zero visibility.”

The helicopter, operated by Prestige Helicopters out of Peachtree‑DeKalb Airport, never reached its destination. It crashed on a large forest tract maintained as a wildlife management area. Jesni, a nurse, later told family members she regained consciousness under the wreckage with her husband lying on her chest, already unresponsive.

Endeavour Air, the Delta Connection carrier where Fiji had been employed since March 2025, issued a statement mourning the loss:

“The loss of a colleague and friend is deeply felt, and we know this news may be especially difficult for those who knew and worked alongside him.”

Fiji’s family described him as a devoted son and a passionate aviator whose life and career were just beginning. Relatives recalled the wedding as joyful and filled with emotion before the tragic turn of events.