Local
Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson, 15-year Air Force veteran, dies after Alamodome fall
The Air Force identified Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson as the service member who died after falling during a pregame ceremony at the Alamodome. The circumstances of the fall are under investigation.
SAN ANTONIO — Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson, an Air Force instructor assigned to Joint Base San Antonio, died after falling from the ceiling of the Alamodome during a pregame ceremony before a UTSA football game Saturday, officials said. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died.
Patterson, who was from Fort Stewart, Georgia, served in the Air Force for 15 years. He was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, and worked as a Tactical Air Control Party instructor, according to Nellis Air Force Base, which identified him in a statement Monday.
The fall happened before kickoff at the UTSA-Navy game. The circumstances remain under investigation, the base said.
Spectators Alexandra and Camila Kalisek told local reporters they were watching the band when they saw Patterson fall. Alexandra said there was a pause before the game resumed, but the atmosphere in the stadium felt eerie afterward. Camila recalled seeing him descend before he suddenly accelerated toward the ground.
Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, commander of the 57th Wing, said Patterson’s death had affected the wing and those who served with him. The unit’s priority, he said, was supporting Patterson’s family, loved ones and fellow airmen. Mills also thanked the San Antonio community and Joint Base San Antonio partners for their support.
Patterson was named Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year at the Headquarters Air Force level in 2022. His decorations included the Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, as well as Army and Air Force achievement and commendation medals.