The airman who died after a rappelling demonstration went wrong Saturday night was a Tactical Air Control Party instructor with 15 years of Air Force service. The Air Force identified him Monday as Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson.

Patterson was assigned to a training detachment of the 6th Combat Training Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. He served as a Tactical Air Control Party instructor, helping prepare troops for a demanding battlefield role alongside ground forces.

The incident occurred before a football game between the University of Texas at San Antonio and the U.S. Naval Academy at the Alamodome. Patterson was participating in a demonstration with three other people before the game began.

The team planned to descend from the rafters of the stadium, which is 160 feet high, and land on the playing field. Videos posted online appear to show Patterson sliding down the rope far too quickly before striking the ground.

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Emergency responders rushed onto the field and treated Patterson for several minutes. He was then removed from the field on a stretcher as thousands of people inside the stadium watched.

The San Antonio Fire Department transported Patterson to an area hospital with life threatening injuries. He later died at the hospital, and Air Force officials said the incident remains under investigation.

“This tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th Wing,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, 57th Wing commander, said in a release Monday. Mills described the loss as one affecting Patterson’s family, friends, teammates and fellow airmen.

“Tech. Sgt. Patterson and his service mattered immensely to our wing, and to the family, friends, and teammates who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him. Our team is now focused on standing beside Ian’s family, loved ones, and fellow airmen as we navigate this profound loss together.”

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Patterson was from Fort Stewart, Georgia, and had served in the Air Force for 15 years. His record included recognition for his work as an instructor within Air Force special warfare.

In 2022, Patterson was named the Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year at the Headquarters Air Force level, according to the service. His awards included the Air and Space Commendation Medal, the Air and Space Achievement Medal and the Army Achievement Medal, among others.

Air Force Tactical Air Control Party personnel are special operations airmen who embed with ground forces, typically from other military branches. Their role includes coordinating close air support against enemy targets during operations.

The 6th Combat Training Squadron is headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base. It trains troops from different military branches to serve as forward air controllers, a mission that includes training Tactical Air Control Party personnel.

Detachment 2 operates at Joint Base San Antonio, near the Alamodome where the fatal incident occurred. Patterson was assigned to that detachment when he took part in Saturday night’s demonstration.

The rappelling event was included among the activities before the University of Texas at San Antonio’s annual Salute to Armed Forces & Veterans game. The accident delayed the football game for approximately 10 minutes.

Thousands of spectators were inside the Alamodome and witnessed the incident. The demonstration had been intended as part of the military themed events surrounding the matchup between the university and the U.S. Naval Academy.

Military services have conducted similar rappelling demonstrations at sporting events for decades. In 2012, pararescue troops from the Kentucky Air National Guard rappelled down the side of the University of Louisville stadium.

Another demonstration occurred in 2016, when soldiers rappelled from the ceiling during a Major League Baseball game in Florida. Saturday’s demonstration ended in tragedy as Patterson suffered injuries that proved fatal.

The Air Force has not announced a conclusion about what caused Patterson’s rapid descent. With the incident under investigation, officials have focused publicly on Patterson’s service and on supporting the family, loved ones and airmen mourning his death.

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