Bride Jesny rescued from wreckage after six-hour ordeal in Georgia forest

A day of celebration turned into a nightmare just hours after their wedding, when an Indian-origin pilot was killed in a helicopter crash in Georgia. His bride, trapped inside the mangled wreckage for nearly six hours, survived.

The crash happened late Friday night as the newlywed couple was leaving their venue in Dawsonville for a planned post-wedding farewell flight. Dave Fiji, a First Officer with Delta Air Lines, was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife, Jesny, a nurse by training, remained conscious and trapped until rescue teams finally pulled her out early Saturday morning.

A wedding day ends in tragedy

The couple had just exchanged vows at The Revere wedding venue, with around 400 guests in attendance. What was meant to be a grand departure in a Robinson R66 helicopter, bound for DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, quickly went wrong. Sources familiar with the matter said the flight was a special arrangement for the couple, a final celebratory gesture before they were to begin their new life together.

Instead, the helicopter went down in a heavily wooded area not far from the venue. The dense forest and difficult terrain meant that even finding the crash site took crews several hours.

‘He said the weather was not suitable’

Dave’s father, George Figi, told family members that his son had serious concerns before takeoff. By the end of the wedding ceremony, dense fog and rain had rolled into the area, with visibility dropping to nearly zero.

“Dave told the helicopter pilot that we do not fly in conditions with such poor visibility. He clearly said the weather was not suitable for flying,” George Figi later recounted. According to the family, the pilot responded that they would fly at a higher altitude, and the journey went ahead despite the warnings.

That decision proved fatal.

Bride’s six-hour wait in the wreckage

For Jesny, the hours after the crash became a test of endurance. According to her father-in-law, she regained consciousness to find herself surrounded by the shattered remains of the aircraft. She was trapped, unable to move, and she knew immediately that something was terribly wrong with her husband.

“Jesny said that when she opened her eyes, Dave’s head was resting on her chest. She saw blood on his body. As a nurse, she immediately understood that Dave was no longer alive,” George Figi said, describing the moment as heartbreaking.

Despite suffering multiple cuts and injuries, she had no broken bones. Her family says she is now recovering physically, though the emotional trauma is severe.

A dream fulfilled, then lost

Family members described Dave as someone who had wanted to fly since childhood. Through hard work, he achieved that dream and joined Delta Air Lines as a First Officer. His father said he was watching his son on the wedding day and could feel his joy. “My son was very happy. He looked incredibly handsome,” George Figi said.

The couple had first become friends through their church communities in South Carolina and Georgia. Over time, their friendship grew into a decision to spend their lives together.

Investigation now underway

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a full investigation. Officials have not yet confirmed the official cause, but investigators are expected to examine weather conditions, the flight path, the helicopter’s technical condition, and the pre-flight decisions made by the pilot.

For the Figi family, the shock is still fresh. “God gave us a perfect wedding day. Just a few hours later, everything turned into a tragedy,” George Figi said. “We have many questions, but in times like these, we find peace and answers only in God.”

The tragic collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport involving an Air Canada Express flight has claimed two lives and left several others injured, disrupting operations at one of the city's busiest hubs.

Air Canada Express Flight Collides with Fire Truck at LaGuardia, 2 Dead

An incoming Air Canada Express regional jet struck a Port Authority fire truck on the runway late Sunday night, killing the pilot and co-pilot while injuring ground personnel, according to multiple reports from US authorities and media sources.

Fatal Runway Collision

The incident unfolded around 11:38 pm local time (about 10:08 am IST on March 23) when the Bombardier CRJ-900, operating as Flight AC8646 from Montreal, collided with the emergency vehicle on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in Queens, New York.

The aircraft sustained severe damage, with its nose ripped off and the forward fuselage badly mangled, as shown in unverified social media footage and photographs from the scene.

Casualties and Injuries

The two fatalities were the pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit, sources close to the investigation told US media outlets including the New York Post. Reports also indicated serious injuries to personnel on the fire truck, with some accounts mentioning four firefighters or Port Authority officers critically hurt, including broken limbs and other trauma.

The flight carried 72 passengers and four crew members, Jazz Aviation confirmed in an early statement. All passengers were safely evacuated, though some may have required medical checks. No passenger fatalities have been reported so far.

Sequence of Events

Air traffic control audio circulating online captured urgent commands to "stop, stop, stop" as the collision became imminent. The fire truck was reportedly crossing the runway or responding to a separate incident when the jet, which had just landed and was rolling out, struck it at an estimated speed of around 39 kmph.

Low visibility and wet conditions may have played a role, though officials are yet to confirm contributing factors.

Official Response and Investigation

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) immediately issued a ground stop for all arrivals and departures at LaGuardia, citing an aircraft emergency. The measure, initially set to last several hours, carried a high probability of extension, leading to widespread diversions and cancellations.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, activated emergency protocols. Jazz Aviation, the regional partner operating the flight for Air Canada, acknowledged the incident and said it was cooperating fully.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a formal investigation, dispatching a go-team to the site to examine the circumstances, including air traffic communications, vehicle movements, and weather data.

Impact on Airport Operations

LaGuardia, a key domestic gateway for New York City, handles heavy traffic volumes daily. The closure triggered significant disruptions, with arriving flights diverted to nearby airports like Newark or JFK, or returned to origin. Passengers faced long delays amid already strained US air travel conditions.

Aviation experts point out that such ground collisions, though uncommon, can ripple across the national network, exacerbating congestion.

What Lies Ahead

Authorities continue to assess the runway and surrounding areas for safety before resuming operations. The NTSB investigation is expected to take months, focusing on communication breakdowns, ground vehicle protocols, and possible human or systemic errors.

Air Canada and Jazz Aviation have yet to release detailed statements on support for affected passengers and families. Further updates will follow as more information emerges from the ongoing probe.

This incident underscores the risks at busy urban airports where aircraft and emergency vehicles operate in close proximity.