U.S. airman identified after death in rappelling incident before college football game

On October 15, 2026, Tech Sergeant Ian "Patty" Patterson, a 33-year-old Air Force member assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2 at Joint Base San Antonio, died after falling approximately 170 feet while rappelling from the rafters of the Alamodome in San Antonio during a pregame ceremony before the University of Texas at San Antonio vs. Navy football game. Patterson was selected to perform this dangerous stunt for the first time that year and had been eager to do so, as reported by his father John Patterson. The incident occurred on Saturday when Patterson lost control of his descent, falling onto the field where he was treated before being taken to a local hospital, where he later died. The Alamodome roof is about 170 feet above the field. The cause of the fall remains under investigation.