# Accident 19980718030039A: Socata RALLYE235E, Laurel, MT, July 18, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 18, 1998, 13:30 local time
- Place: Laurel, MT
- Airport: Laurel Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 48.1896° N, 114.3798° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.1896&lon=-114.3798&mi=10
- Aircraft: N301RA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N301RA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: S.O.C.A.T.A. RALLYE 235E (registry code 8400135, https://openairdocs.org/model/s-o-c-a-t-a-rallye-235e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SOCATA RALLYE235E
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA142) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980718030039A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) PILOT STATES HE BELIEVES HE UNPORTED HIS FUEL PICKUP BY MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A FLOUR BOMBING CONTEST. ENGINE QUIT AT 200 FT. AND HE DITCHED IT IN THE FLATHEAD RIVER. AIRCRAFT ENGINE RAN AND DEVELOPED POWER AFTER RETRIEVED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA98LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA142), Jul 18, 1998: Socata Rallye 235E (N301RA), Kalispell, MT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot-in-command's improper fuel management, resulting in fuel starvation. Related factors were insufficient altitude available for effective remedial action, and lack of suitable terrain for a…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.