A newlywed groom was killed when a helicopter carrying him from his wedding crashed into trees, while his seriously injured bride remained trapped beneath his body for six hours before rescuers reached her, according to a lawsuit.
Jesni Sam and Dave Fiji, a Delta pilot, had been married for only a few hours when their wedding celebration became an “unimaginable nightmare.” The helicopter carrying them from The Revere, a wedding venue in Dawsonville, Georgia, crashed minutes after takeoff, killing Fiji and the pilot.
Sam survived the crash but spent hours injured and trapped inside the wreckage, beneath the man she had planned to spend the rest of her life with.
“For nearly six hours, Jesni remained trapped in the rubble, with the deceased corpse of the man she had married only hours earlier lying on top of her,” according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by Robb & Robb LLC. The firm previously represented Vanessa Bryant, the widow of NBA star Kobe Bryant, after his death in a 2020 helicopter crash.
The newlyweds boarded a Robinson R66 helicopter operated by Prestige Helicopters at about 11:45 p.m. for a “helicopter sendoff” to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport.
The flight departed despite unfavorable weather conditions. About five minutes later, the helicopter struck tall trees and crashed in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Weather information cited by the lawsuit and obtained by the NTSB indicated that the area may have experienced rain, fog, low clouds and moderate rain. Advisories were also in effect for thunderstorms, poor visibility and mountain obscuration, the lawsuit states.
Fiji’s mother, Phebah Fiji, told Fox 5 that the family was surprised the helicopter flight had not been canceled. Her son, who was a pilot for Delta, had also expressed concerns about the weather.
“Initially, it was going to be called off because of weather concerns,” she said. “However, when the chopper came in, the pilot was very confident that it wouldn’t be an issue, even though it had started raining.”
The lawsuit alleges that Sam was knocked unconscious in the crash and suffered serious injuries to her hip, leg, neck, fingers, arm and stomach. She also experienced headaches, dizziness and loss of balance, and was left with extensive scarring on her face and body.
The filing says she continues to endure “emotional and psychological trauma” so severe that it “is difficult to comprehend.”
According to the lawsuit, Sam has also been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and continues to struggle with depression, grief, anxiety and a fear of flying.
The Revere had hired Prestige Helicopters, an Atlanta-based company, to operate the flight for the newlyweds, the lawsuit says.
The complaint accuses The Revere and Prestige Helicopters of negligence, alleging that they failed to properly assess the weather before deciding to proceed. It also claims The Revere lacked adequate procedures for postponing or canceling the helicopter ride.
The lawsuit further alleges that pilot Nikhil Nargundkar should have canceled the flight because of the rain and fog. It also raises questions about the helicopter’s altitude at the time of the crash.
Sam is seeking damages for medical treatment, rehabilitation and emotional suffering. She and Fiji’s estate are also seeking compensation for Fiji’s funeral costs and lost income.
The lawsuit asks for a jury trial to determine the amount of damages.
