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Cause of Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium roof mishap before Houston Texans game revealed

Strong winds were to blame for the metal falling. Wind gusts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, not far from Arlington, peaked at 52 mph Monday afternoon.

By Hayley Vawter Source FOX Weather
No one was injured when the metal fell. FOX 4 Dallas Sports Reporter Sam Gannon was on the field when the incident happened. 00:18

Piece of metal falls from AT&T Stadium roof ahead of Dallas Cowboys game

No one was injured when the metal fell. FOX 4 Dallas Sports Reporter Sam Gannon was on the field when the incident happened.

ARLINGTON, Texas – A sheet of metal from the top of AT&T Stadium fell onto the field ahead of the Dallas Cowboys game Monday night.

According to a statement from a Dallas Cowboys spokesperson, no one was hurt by the falling metal. 

The piece of metal was from a covering lid to a cable tray near the top of the stadium, the spokesperson said Monday afternoon. It fell while the stadium's retractable roof was being opened.

Before Monday night, the stadium's retractable roof hadn't been opened for a Cowboys home game since October 2022, the spokesperson said.

FOX 4 Dallas was at the stadium when the incident happened. Video and photos from their reporters at the stadium show the large piece of metal that fell.

Strong winds were to blame for the metal falling from the roof, the spokesperson said.

At about 4:30 p.m., wind gusts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, not far from Arlington, peaked at 52 mph, according to a National Weather Service climate report. 

The arches that support the roof are nearly 300 feet above the field at their highest point, FOX Sports reported. 

  • ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 18: A worker secures a metal sheet prior to an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium on November 18, 2024 in Arlington, Texas.
    Image 1 of 3

    ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 18: A worker secures a metal sheet prior to an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium on November 18, 2024 in Arlington, Texas.  ( Perry Knotts)

  • ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 18: A member of the stadium fixes a part of the roof prior to the game between the Houston Texans and the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 18, 2024 in Arlington, Texas.
    Image 2 of 3

    ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 18: A member of the stadium fixes a part of the roof prior to the game between the Houston Texans and the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 18, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Sam Hodde)

  • A piece of sheet metal fell to the AT&T Stadium playing surface when the roof was opened prior to Monday's NFL game. Officials later closed the roof prior to the Cowboys-Texans game.
    Image 3 of 3

    A piece of sheet metal fell to the AT&T Stadium playing surface when the roof was opened prior to Monday's NFL game. Officials later closed the roof prior to the Cowboys-Texans game.  (Amanda McCoy/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service)

The Cowboys' spokesperson's full statement read: "The City of Arlington’s building inspector and deputy fire marshal have consulted with AT&T Stadium today and determined there are no structural issues with the venue or its retractable roof. The metal piece that fell to the field was a covering lid to a cable tray that was moved by wind gusts as the roof was opening. The cable tray was in the high steel area near the top of the stadium. Additional review and work has been performed to further secure the covering lids for the cable trays."

FOX 4 Dallas reported the roof was closed shortly after the incident on Monday night. 

AT&T Stadium opened in 2009. 

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