Maj. Tyler R. Braconi dies in fatal Imperial County helicopter crash.
Fatal Imperial County helicopter crash death of Maj. Tyler R. Braconi.
Military officials announced on Monday the identity of the Marine from Camp Pendleton who died in a helicopter mishap in Imperial County the prior week.
According to a statement from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Maj. Tyler R. Braconi, aged 35, lost his life when an AH-1Z Viper encountered an “aviation mishap” during standard operations. The incident occurred around 7:05 p.m. on Thursday in the uninhabited region of Imperial Gables, located approximately 200 miles east of Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, the base from which the flight originated.
Braconi, a native of California and an experienced pilot of the AH-1Z Viper, was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 369, which falls under Marine Aircraft Group 39 of the 3rd MAW. He joined the military in May 2012 and was promoted to major in June 2022.
