A Georgia bride who survived a helicopter crash on her wedding night is suing the wedding venue and helicopter operator, alleging the deadly flight should never have taken off in deteriorating weather.
Jesni Sam, 28, married Dave Fiji, 25, on May 29 at The Revere in Dawsonville, Georgia, in front of roughly 400 guests. At the end of the celebration, the newlyweds boarded a Robinson R66 helicopter for what was supposed to be a romantic send-off to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport near Atlanta.
Instead, their wedding night ended in tragedy just minutes later.
According to the lawsuit, the helicopter took off around 9:45 p.m. and crashed about five minutes later in a heavily wooded section of the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area.
Fiji and pilot Nikhil Nargundkar were killed. Sam survived but was left seriously injured and trapped in the wreckage for hours.
The lawsuit, filed Sept. 22 in DeKalb County, names Prestige Helicopters Inc., The Revere LLC and Revere Group LLC as defendants.
Sam filed the case both individually and on behalf of her husband’s estate, alleging negligence and wrongful death. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The complaint describes the crash as “utterly preventable.”
Sam alleges the helicopter company and wedding venue allowed the flight to proceed despite dangerous weather conditions in the area, including rain, low clouds and poor visibility.
Federal investigators previously reported that rain and fog were present around the time of the crash and that the helicopter struck tall trees along rising terrain before going down. The NTSB investigation remains ongoing, meaning no final probable cause has been determined.
The lawsuit also claims Fiji had expressed concern about the weather before boarding.
Fiji himself was a pilot, although he did not fly helicopters. According to Sam’s mother, he questioned Nargundkar about whether conditions were safe but ultimately relied on the helicopter pilot’s judgment because the planned flight was expected to last only about 20 to 25 minutes.
What followed was almost unimaginable.
Sam alleges she spent nearly six hours trapped inside the wreckage, pinned beneath or beside her newlywed husband’s body while waiting for rescuers to find her.
The crash site was in difficult wooded terrain, making it harder for emergency crews to reach the helicopter.
Rescuers ultimately located Sam after hearing her calling for help while she drifted in and out of consciousness.
The lawsuit says Sam suffered physical injuries as well as severe psychological trauma following the crash, including symptoms described as PTSD, anxiety and depression.
“In a matter of minutes, Jesni went from celebrating the happiest day of her life to experiencing something almost impossible to comprehend,” attorney Andrew Robb said in announcing the lawsuit.
Robb said Sam is seeking answers and accountability over the decision to launch the flight.
The helicopter ride had been promoted as part of the wedding experience offered through The Revere, according to the lawsuit and previous local reporting.
Neither Prestige Helicopters nor The Revere had publicly responded to the allegations in the initial reports on the lawsuit.
The NTSB’s investigation is separate from Sam’s civil case and is still ongoing. A final federal report could eventually provide more information about the weather, aircraft, pilot decisions and other factors that contributed to the crash.