The pilot and passenger of a military-style fighter jet that buzzed along De Beque Canyon and snapped a number of power lines in May 2015 are being sued by the driver of one of several cars struck by the whipping cables.

Stephen Centofanti, 47, says in a federal lawsuit that the “deafening and unexpected noise” of the cables slamming into his car — and the roar of the aging Aero Vodochody L-39C jet as it climbed out of the canyon — caused a constant ringing in his ears.

Additionally, the Aspen resident says he’s lost dexterity in both hands after “gripping the steering wheel in a panic fearing for his life and the lives of his passengers” while driving westbound on Interstate 70. Centofanti said the jet appeared to be coming straight at him.

Police did not report any serious injuries from the May 28, 2015, accident.

Centofanti, a pedorthist who owns Bio-Performance Orthotics, sued pilot Brian Evans, his passenger Raymond Davoudi, and various businesses associated with the jet.

Evans is a former pilot with the U.S. Marine Corps who specialized in “expeditionary warfare training” and owns Tactical Advantage Inc., which was shuttling the fighter-training jet to Alabama from Grand Junction, according to the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver.

Photo courtesy of National Transportation Safety Board Damage on the Vertical Stabilizer of a military-style fighter jet that buzzed along De Beque Canyon and snapped a number of power lines in May 2015.

Photo courtesy of National Transportation Safety Board Damage on the right wing aileron of a military-style fighter jet that buzzed along De Beque Canyon and snapped a number of power lines in May 2015.

Photo courtesy of National Transportation Safety Board Damage to the nose of a military-style fighter jet that buzzed along De Beque Canyon and snapped a number of power lines in May 2015.



“His hands hurt all the time,” Centofanti’s attorney, Alan Feldman, said of his client. “He can’t even open a jar without pain.”

Neither Evans nor Davoudi could be reached for comment.

Evans flew the jet into De Beque Canyon, venturing as low as 100 feet above the Colorado River at speeds topping 345 mph, according to a report he filed with the National Transportation Safety Board about two weeks after the incident.

Evans said he was surprised by the power lines, in part, because he had been “completely outside,” pilot-talk for being fixated on the scenery around an aircraft.







“Evans and Davoudi decided to go for a 300-mph joy ride in a two-seater experimental classified jet fighter about 100 feet off the ground over the Colorado River … barreling towards the Grand Valley Diversion Dam,” the lawsuit says. The towers holding the power lines, however, stand 70-feet tall, according to the lawsuit.

The jet lost its right aileron in the impact, the right wingtip fuel tank was sheared off and the nose cone was banged up, according to the NTSB report and photos filed with it. Evans put the jet into a steep climb out of the canyon and eventually landed back in Grand Junction.

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The cables whipsawed across I-70 and hit several cars, including Centofanti’s.

Evan’s NTSB report gave no indication why he was flying low in the canyon on the sunny day.

Federal Aviation Administration regulations prohibit flying lower than 500 feet in uninhabited areas except for takeoffs and landings.

Rules for flying in the area of De Beque Canyon say aircraft cannot fly faster than about 285 mph when below 10,000 feet, the lawsuit says.

The NTSB eventually found Evans had not done adequate preflight planning to know where the wires were located.

The lawsuit also names two Tennessee corporations that own the aircraft and a Pennsylvania company that allegedly hired Evans to fly the 30-year-old jet.

The case was originally filed in Mesa County before it was moved to federal court.