--- title: "Airman who died in football game rappelling incident identified" description: "Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson, with 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, died Saturday after falling to the ground at a football game." date: "2026-10-19" modified: "2026-10-19" authors: - name: "Patty Nieberg" job_title: "Senior Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/patty-nieberg.md" - name: "Austin Campbell" job_title: "Contributing reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/austin-campbell.md" - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton.md" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/airman-rappel-ian-patterson-identified/" categories: - "Air Force" - "Military Branches" - "News" tags: - "adsafety" --- # Airman who died in football game rappelling incident identified ![A U.S. tactical air control party airman assigned to Detachment 2, 6th Combat Training Squadron, fast ropes down 40 feet during rappel training at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Texas, Aug. 20, 2026. The training was conducted as part of the squadron's mission to provide initial qualification and advanced skills training to TACP Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Amanda Yastrzab)]() *Air Force tactical air control party airman with Detachment 2, 6th Combat Training Squadron conduct rappel training at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Aug. 20, 2026. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Amanda Yastrzab.* The airman who [died in a rappelling demonstration]() gone wrong on Saturday night was a Tactical Air Control Party instructor with 15 years of service in the Air Force. The Air Force identified the airman as Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson, a Tactical Air Control Party instructor assigned to a 6th Combat Training Squadron detachment operating out of Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. Patterson was part of a four-person demonstration at Saturday’s football game between the University of Texas at San Antonio and the Navy. He was rappelling from the football stadium rafters when his rope appeared to unravel too quickly, videos posted online of the incident show. He slid down his line at a high speed from dozens of feet above the field and hit the ground hard. Emergency responders rushed to him on the field and tended to him for several minutes before he was taken away on a stretcher. The San Antonio Fire Department transported him to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries; [he died at the hospital](). Air Force officials said the incident is 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. “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.” Patterson, from Fort Stewart, Georgia, had served for 15 years. In 2022, he was named the Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year at the Headquarters Air Force level, according to the service. His awards include the Air and Space Commendation Medal, the Air and Space Achievement Medal and the Army Achievement Medal, among others. An Air Force TACP is a special operations airman who embeds with ground forces, typically from other service branches, to coordinate close air support to strike enemy targets during operations. 6th Combat Training Squadron, headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base, trains troops from different branches to be TACPs. Detachment 2 operates at Joint Base San Antonio, near the stadium where the incident took place. The rappelling demonstration was part of pre-game events at the Alamodome, done as part of UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces & Veterans game. Thousands of people were inside the stadium and watched the accident. The football game was delayed for approximately 10 minutes. The services have showcased similar rappelling demos at sporting events for decades. In 2012, pararescue troops with the Kentucky Air National Guard [rappelled down the side of the University of Louisville stadium]() and in 2016, [soldiers rappelled from the ceiling at a Major League Baseball game in Florida](). ## Author Patty is a senior reporter for Task & Purpose. She's reported on the military for six years, embedding with the National Guard during a hurricane and covering Guantanamo Bay legal proceedings for an alleged al Qaeda commander. Her previous bylines can be found at the *Associated Press*, *Bloomberg Government*, *Washington Post*, *The New York Times*, and *ABC*. You can reach Patty by email at [Patty.Nieberg@taskandpurpose.com](). ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()