SAN ANTONIO, TX. (THECOUNT) — Ian Patterson, a decorated U.S. Air Force technical sergeant and 15-year military veteran, has been identified as the service member who fell approximately 170 feet from the rafters of the Alamodome during a pregame fast-rope rappelling demonstration Saturday in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, in the San Antonio metropolitan area.
Patterson, assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, at Joint Base San Antonio, was participating in a military demonstration before the University of Texas at San Antonio’s football game against Navy when the fatal fall occurred on Oct. 17, according to Nellis Air Force Base.
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The airman served as a Tactical Air Control Party instructor, a specialized role involving training personnel to coordinate and direct air support for ground forces. His death has prompted an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the demonstration.
According to reports, Patterson was one of four airmen taking part in the fast-rope display, which was part of the stadium’s Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans event. The demonstration was intended to showcase specialized military skills before thousands of spectators gathered for the college football game.
Video circulating after the incident appeared to show Patterson losing control during his descent before falling from the stadium rafters toward the field. The circumstances that led to the fall have not been conclusively established, and officials have not announced a final determination about what happened.
Medical personnel rushed to Patterson’s aid on the field. He was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later died.
Patterson was from Fort Stewart, Georgia, and had served in the Air Force for 15 years. In 2022, he was named the Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year at the Headquarters Air Force level.
His military decorations included the Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, along with Army Commendation, Air and Space Achievement, and Army Achievement medals, according to reporting on his service record.
Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, commander of the 57th Wing, said Patterson’s death had deeply affected the unit and those who served alongside him.
“This tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th Wing,” Mills said in the Air Force statement. He added that the unit was focused on supporting Patterson’s family, loved ones and fellow airmen during the loss.
The football game between UTSA and Navy proceeded following a delay. The American Conference later issued a statement expressing condolences to Patterson’s family, friends, teammates and fellow members of the 57th Wing.
The Air Force investigation remains ongoing. Officials have not publicly released a final account of the events that caused Patterson to fall during the demonstration.
The Alamodome is located at 100 Montana Street in downtown San Antonio, near the city’s convention center and east of the central business district. The map link below identifies the stadium where the fatal fall occurred; it does not pinpoint the precise location inside the venue where the demonstration took place.
Google Maps: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
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