Air Force Identifies TACP Airman Killed in Alamodome Rappelling Accident

The Air Force is investigating after a Tactical Air Control Party instructor died Oct. 17 from injuries suffered during what appeared to be an uncontrolled descent during a rappelling demonstration at a college football game in San Antonio, Texas.

Officials identified the deceased Airman as Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson, a member of the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2 at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, according to an Oct. 18 Air Force press release. The unit focuses on training Airmen to become TACPs and other joint fires integrators such as joint terminal attack controllers, air liaison officers, ground liaison officers, and air support operations center personnel to embed with Army and Marine units to coordinate and deconflict all surface and air fires on the battlefield.

The accident occurred as Patterson was participating in a pregame rappelling demonstration from the ceiling of the Alamodome stadium before the University of Texas-San Antonio played Navy as part of its Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans night, KSAT reported. After his fall, Patterson received medical attention on the field and was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The details surrounding the cause of Patterson’s death remain under investigation, according to a spokesperson for the 57th Wing, which oversees the 6th Combat Training Squadron.

“To maintain the integrity and impartiality of the ongoing investigation, [we] cannot address specific questions, operational details, or speculative scenarios at this time, as doing so could impede the investigative process,” the spokesperson said.

Video of the accident circulated on social media appears to show Patterson descending rapidly down the rappel rope without braking before he impacted with the ground. Military rappelers slow their descent by braking—a technique where the service member presses their dominant hand holding the free end of the rope against the hip or the small of the back.

This is not the first time miliary personnel have rappelled from the Alamodome’s ceiling. In 2013, instructors from the Army’s 101st Airborne Division Air Assault School from Fort Campbell, Ky., conducted a pregame rappelling demonstration inside the stadium before the U.S. Army All-American Bowl game.

The Alamodome’s 180-foot ceiling is more than double the height of most military rappel towers, which range from 34 feet to 90 feet. But some personnel have rappelled from helicopters hovering above 200 feet.

Rappelling from such heights can create increased friction that can cause the rappelers’ hands to heat up. While practicing for the 2013 event, 101st instructors “complained about their hands feeling pretty warm, despite wearing gloves,” according to an Army release from the time. After their first practice rappel, the Soldiers added special inserts into their gloves to protect their hands from the heat buildup.

It’s unclear if Patterson, who was one of four service members participating in the Oct. 17 demonstration, practiced rappelling from the stadium’s ceiling before the event, KSAT.com reported.

Patterson became a decorated Airman during his 15 years of service. In 2022, he was named the Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year at the Headquarters Air Force level, according to the Oct. 18 press release. Patterson’s other decorations included the Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, Air and Space Achievement Medal, and Army Achievement Medal, each with one oak leaf cluster, according to the release.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, who commands the 57th Wing, called Patterson’s death a “profound loss.”

“This tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th Wing,” Mills said in the release. “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.”