US Air Force service member dies while rappelling from stadium ceiling in San Antonio

US Air Force Sergeant Ian Patterson died after falling during a rope descent from a 52-meter height at the Alamodome before the UTSA — Navy college football game. The incident is under investigation; the game, according to the conference, was continued before the death was confirmed.

tafs uz editorial deskFirst published on tafs uz 19 October 2026 at 19:592 min readAI translation

The key facts

Sergeant Ian Patterson fell during a descent from a 52-meter height onto the Alamodome field in San Antonio and died at a hospital.
The incident occurred on Saturday before the UTSA Roadrunners — Navy Midshipmen game; the game proceeded as scheduled.
The association stated that the decision to continue the game was made before the death was confirmed; the incident is under investigation.

Death during pre-game ceremony

A US Air Force service member died after falling during a rope descent from the ceiling of the Alamodome stadium in San Antonio before a college football game. According to the BBC, the incident occurred on Saturday as part of the ceremony before the game between the University of Texas at San Antonio and the Naval Academy. Video shows the service member falling feet-first onto the turf at the center of the field from a height of about 170 feet (52 meters).

The deceased — Sergeant Ian Patterson

The military identified the deceased as Sergeant Ian Patterson, a Tactical Air Control Party instructor at Joint Base San Antonio. He died at a hospital. According to Nellis Air Force Base, Patterson was from Fort Stewart, Georgia, served in the US armed forces for 15 years, holds a number of military awards, and in 2022 was named the Air Force-level Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for special operations training.

Reaction and continuation of the game

The game between the UTSA Roadrunners and the Navy Midshipmen proceeded as scheduled. The American Athletic Conference stated that the decision to continue the game was made before the service member's death was confirmed, and expressed condolences to the family, friends, fellow service members and the 57th Wing. Air Force Brigadier General Scott Mills said in a statement from Nellis Base that the tragedy is deeply felt throughout the 57th Wing and that Patterson's service was of tremendous importance. UTSA President Taylor Eighmy expressed deep condolences to the family, fellow service members and squadron of the deceased.