Newlyweds Were Offered Helicopter Ride After Ceremony That Killed Groom and Left Bride Trapped with His Body: Lawsuit

“Jesni went from celebrating the happiest day of her life to experiencing something almost impossible to comprehend,” said Jesni Sam’s lawyer.

People Magazine - September 23, 2026 

By Sam Gillette

NEED TO KNOW

• A woman whose husband was killed on their wedding night in a helicopter crash in Georgia has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit
• The complaint alleges the May flight should have been canceled due to dangerous weather and claims there were inadequate safety measures at the wedding venue
• “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,” the complaint said

Nearly four months after a man was killed in a helicopter crash on his wedding night in Georgia, his widow has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the wedding venue and the helicopter operator. 

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, lawyers representing Jesni Sam filed a complaint for damages after a post-wedding flight on May 29 left her seriously injured and her husband, Dave Fiji, and the pilot, Nikhil Nargundkar, dead. They allege that the companies didn’t properly evaluate the worsening weather conditions and were negligent in their decision to continue with the flight, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE.

“In a matter of minutes, Jesni went from celebrating the happiest day of her life to experiencing something almost impossible to comprehend,” said Andrew Robb, partner at Robb & Robb LLC, the firm representing Sam, in a statement. 

(The Kansas City-based law firm previously represented Vanessa Bryant in the helicopter crash that resulted in the death of her husband, NBA star Kobe Bryant, their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and several others.)

“Jesni’s lawsuit seeks answers and accountability for what happened to her and her husband,” he continued, “and she will fight to ensure that no newlywed couple ever suffers anything like this again.”

More than a decade after they met, the couple was married in front of hundreds of guests at The Revere, a luxury wedding and events venue in Dawsonville, George Fiji, Dave’s father, told ABC affiliate WSB. 

“We could say it was the perfect wedding,” George told the outlet of the ceremony on May 29. “We couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Following the reception, which concluded around 9:30 p.m. local time, the newlyweds were set to board the helicopter at the venue and fly to Peachtree-DeKalb Airport in DeKalb County, so they could stay at an Atlanta hotel for the night, the outlet reported. Before the flight, Dave, who was a pilot for Delta, voiced concern about the weather conditions.

“He said I wouldn’t fly, we would not fly in this visibility,” his dad told WSB, adding that the pilot planned to fly at a higher altitude. 

Just minutes after the helicopter took off, it crashed to the ground, killing the 25-year-old groom and 28-year-old pilot, Dave’s family said. 

“Initial impact signatures show that the helicopter struck tall trees, followed by an impact with terrain in a heavily wooded area,” the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into the crash, previously told PEOPLE.

In an update, the agency tells PEOPLE that their investigation is ongoing and “a probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12-24 months.”

The “Helicopter Send-Off,” which was arranged by The Revere and operated by Prestige Helicopters, should never have happened because of “dangerous weather conditions,” the suit claims. Even though the flight took off from a helipad on the property, the wedding venue didn’t have proper safety standards and a plan in place to cancel the send-off in case of bad weather, the lawyers allege.

“This tragedy was utterly preventable,” Sam’s lawyers wrote, adding that the crash was “the consequence of a series of negligent acts and omissions by those responsible.” 

The Revere declined to comment, and Prestige Helicopters did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for a statement.

Following the terrifying crash, the “severely injured” bride was trapped in the wreckage until first responders arrived.

“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 the suit. 

“When she touched her face, she … felt Dave’s cold body,” Sam’s uncle, Jim George, previously told PEOPLE. 

Now, the young widow is seeking “justice” for herself and her husband — whose estate is listed as a plaintiff in the complaint — and searching for “answers and accountability for the life needlessly lost,” Sam’s lawyers wrote, “for the physical and mental suffering that Jesni has and will continue to endure, and for the future that was violently snuffed out the very night it was supposed to begin.”