Tyler Braconi is being remembered as someone who loved challenges, radiated joy, sought adventure at every opportunity, and was a “leader’s leader.”

Those are among the thoughts of friends and family who are mourning the death of Braconi, a 35-year-old pilot assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 369, known as the “Gunfighters,” in a crash last week in Imperial Gables, about 36 miles north of Yuma, Arizona, and 45 miles northeast of El Centro.

Braconi, who graduated from Tesoro High School in 2008, grew up in San Clemente and Ladera Ranch. He was killed on Thursday, Oct. 16, after the two-seat helicopter crashed while flying as part of the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, a seven-week course that runs through Oct. 26 and is hosted at Yuma Marine Corps Air Stat

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