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Witness describes shocked crowd's reaction after Commando falls 170-ft to death during 'fast rope' demonstration
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An Air Force service member has died after falling approximately 170 feet from the rafters of a football stadium during a pregame military demonstration in front of thousands of fans.
The airman was one of four members of the 6th Combat Training Squadron attempting to fast-rope from the roof of the Alamodome in San Antonio to the field below before Saturday night's game between the University of Texas at San Antonio and Navy.
Something went wrong partway down. He appeared to lose control of the rope, slid at speed, and struck the turf near midfield.
He was taken to hospital. Nellis Air Force Base confirmed on Sunday that he had died from his injuries.
What witnesses saw
The demonstration was part of UTSA's annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game.
The four airmen were scheduled to rappel from the stadium rafters to the field 15 minutes before kickoff. Three of them made it down safely.
Adrian Corey, who was in the stands, told KSAT what he saw.
"Once the band started playing, there was a guy that fell down, and started coming down fast."
Video posted online shows the airman sliding rapidly down the rope before hitting the ground at high speed.
First responders sprinted onto the field within seconds. The crowd, which had been cheering moments earlier, went silent.
Kickoff was delayed by 10 minutes. The game was played. UTSA won 38-34.
Whether a college football game should have gone ahead after a man fell 170 feet and was carried off the field on a stretcher in front of the same crowd is a question that began circulating online almost immediately.
Who the service member was
The Air Force has not released the airman's name pending notification of his family.
He was assigned to Detachment 2 of the 6th Combat Training Squadron, based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
According to the Air Force, the unit trains Tactical Air Control Party personnel, specialists who embed with Army and Marine ground units and coordinate airstrikes and artillery from forward positions during combat.
Part of their training involves learning to rapidly descend by rope from helicopters at heights of 100 feet or more.
It is a skill they practice routinely. Fast-rope demonstrations at sporting events are a regular feature of military recruitment and public engagement efforts across the country.
This one was not supposed to be dangerous. It was supposed to be a crowd-pleaser before a football game on a Saturday night in Texas.
What went wrong
Nobody has confirmed what caused the fall.
Video footage suggests the airman's equipment may have malfunctioned, or that he lost his grip partway through the descent. He appeared to be sliding rather than controlling his speed for the final stretch of the rope.
The Air Force and local authorities are investigating. A spokesperson for Nellis Air Force Base said additional information would be released when available.
The Alamodome's rafters are approximately 170 feet above the playing surface.
That is roughly the height of a 17-story building. The rope is the only thing between the person at the top and the ground at the bottom. There is no harness. There is no backup.
Fast-roping is designed to get people to the ground as quickly as possible. When it goes wrong, there is nothing to catch them.
The response
UTSA released a statement on Saturday night.
"We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight's football game."
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones posted on social media: "I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of an Air Force service member following an unfortunate accident at Saturday's UTSA-Navy football game."
The Air Force's statement confirmed only the death, the unit assignment, and the fact that an investigation is underway. No further details have been provided about the service member's identity, experience level, or the condition of his equipment.
A man trained to drop from helicopters into combat zones died dropping from the rafters of a football stadium onto artificial turf during a display designed to entertain a crowd. The investigation will determine what failed. The crowd that watched it happen will not need a report to remember what they saw.