Overview
- A Robinson R66 hired for a wedding sendoff went down about four minutes after takeoff from The Revere in Dawsonville, Georgia, killing the groom and the helicopter pilot while the bride survived.
- The bride said she was trapped under wreckage and remained at the crash site for roughly five hours before rescuers reached her and took her to hospital with mainly minor injuries.
- Family members and the bride reported fog, low visibility and lightning at the time of departure and said the on‑scene pilot discussed climbing to find clearer air as the helicopter climbed.
- The National Transportation Safety Board has taken over the investigation with the FAA notified and investigators are examining weather, flight operations and wreckage; no definitive cause has been released.
- The crash has left the couple’s families and the local community grieving and is likely to prompt scrutiny of helicopter sendoffs, operator practices and emergency access to remote crash sites.