In a tragic incident, an Indian-origin pilot was killed in a helicopter crash shortly after takeoff, just hours after marrying his longtime partner. The incident took place on Friday when he, along with his wife, boarded the helicopter after their wedding in Georgia.
According to a report by The Times of India, the pilot, identified as Dave Fiji, and his wife, Jesna, boarded the helicopter and were headed to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Georgia. Family members told Atlanta News First that the flight was intended as a special send-off before the newlyweds spent the night at a downtown Atlanta hotel.
However, the helicopter crashed in the heavily wooded area shortly after takeoff. Dave's father, George, informed that it took nearly six hours to locate the helicopter wreckage. Though Jesna survived the crash with cuts and bruises, his son and the helicopter pilot died. Jesna, who is a nurse by profession, realised that her husband was no more, who lay beside her.
Ahead of boarding the helicopter, Dave, who worked as a first officer at Delta Air Lines, had expressed concerns to the pilot about the weather and zero visibility, however, the pilot had said that they would be flying at a higher altitude.
Currently, the exact cause of the crash is unknown, and an investigation into the same is underway by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Recalling the wedding festivities, George said Dave and Jesna had met through a church connection and said that his son was very happy on the wedding day. The devastating and emotional father also described, "I was just standing there watching my son and admiring him. He looked so handsome on the wedding day."
