A pregame salute to the armed forces turned into a nightmare when an airman lost control of his rope high above a college football field.
The Air Force has identified the airman who died after falling onto the Alamodome field Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, as Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson.
Patterson was a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) instructor with the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada said in a news release Sunday, Oct. 18. He was from Fort Stewart, Ga., and had served 15 years. He fell while rappelling from the rafters during a pregame ceremony before the University of Texas at San Antonio played the Naval Academy.
“This tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th Wing,” Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, the 57th Wing commander, said in the release. Mills said his team’s focus now is supporting Patterson’s family and the airmen who served alongside him.
Halfway Through a 170-Foot Descent
The demonstration, part of UTSA’s yearly Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game, called for four airmen to drop from the stadium rafters to the turf 15 minutes before the game began. Patterson was halfway through a 170-foot descent when he began falling fast. He hit the turf in front of more than 23,000 spectators.
Videos showed people rushing toward him as he lay motionless at the 50-yard line. Medical personnel treated him on the field, then carried him off on a stretcher in a medical cart. San Antonio Fire Department spokesman Joe Arrington said firefighters responded around 7 p.m. after a call about someone falling during a pregame event. The department transported one person with life-threatening injuries to a hospital. Patterson died there.
The Band Stopped Performing
“Everybody was quiet; the band stopped performing,” said Adrian Corey, a spectator who recorded the fall and told KSAT the airman came down fast once the band began to play. Witnesses said UTSA staff surrounded Patterson as he was treated.
UTSA said its thoughts and prayers were with the service member, his family and his military colleagues. UTSA President Taylor Eighmy extended his sympathies to Patterson’s family, his fellow airmen and his squadron, and said a day meant to honor the armed forces had instead brought deep sadness.
The Decorated Instructor Behind the Rope
Patterson’s record stood out. Headquarters Air Force chose him in 2022 as its Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year. His medals included the Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, along with the Army Commendation Medal, the Air and Space Achievement Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.
The 6th Combat Training Squadron’s job is to train tactical air controllers — specialists who join Army and Marine units on the ground and call in air and artillery strikes from the front lines. Detachment 2 runs the selection and initial training courses for airmen qualifying as TACPs. It operates out of Joint Base San Antonio, with Lackland about 12 miles from the Alamodome and Camp Bullis about 20 miles north of the city. In training, tactical air controllers fast rope from structures 15 to 30 feet high and rappel from helicopters 100 feet or more above the ground.
The Alamodome, which seats about 64,000, has hosted similar rappelling displays in recent years without incident. Nellis said the fall is under investigation and that more information will be released as it becomes available. The American Conference said it is working with its member schools, the Alamodome and local authorities to review what happened. UTSA students can call the university crisis hotline at 210-458-4140 at any hour or use the TimelyCare app.
Why the Game Still Went On
Kickoff was pushed back 10 minutes, and the game went on. American Conference commissioner Tim Pernetti, who was at the Alamodome, decided to play, with support from both teams. The conference said respect for the family’s privacy and the military’s notification process guided that decision, to limit speculation about Patterson’s medical status and spare his family added distress.
The crowd observed a moment of silence. UTSA called off the celebratory light and video show it normally runs when the teams take the field. The Roadrunners beat Navy 38-34.
The Air Force informed conference officials of Patterson’s death at 10:40 p.m. Central Time Saturday, Oct. 17 — about the time the game ended.