PLT OF BL17 TURNED PREMATURELY ON TKOF FROM T41 AND FLEW OVER PEOPLE ON THE GND AT LESS THAN 500 FT AGL.

Narrative

AT TIME OF DEP THERE WERE 4 ACFT IN THE PATTERN AT T41. FOLLOWING THE TOUCH-AND-GO OF THE ACFT IN FRONT OF THE LARGEST GAP IN THE PATTERN; THE INSTRUCTOR IN ANOTHER ACFT AGREED TO LET US DEPART FROM THE INTXN APPROX 100 YDS IN FRONT OF HIM. BECAUSE OF THE OTHER TFC AND THE FACT THAT HIS ACFT HAD ALREADY TAXIED BEYOND THE RWY HOLD LINE; I BELIEVED THE INSTRUCTOR INTENDED TO ALSO DEPART IN THE PATTERN GAP AFTER ME. I BELIEVED A QUICK DEP FROM RWY HDG TO ALLOW HIM ROOM FOR DEP WAS NECESSARY FOR SAFETY AND COURTESY TO THE OTHER TFC. AFTER ESTABLISHING POSITIVE RATE OF CLB; AND DETERMINING WHERE THE TFC IN FRONT OF ME WAS; I MADE A L TURN DOWN THE INTERSECTING RWY TO CROSS BEHIND THAT ACFT ON DOWNWIND. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH TEMP AND NEAR-GROSS WT; MY ACFT CLB PERFORMANCE WAS NOT AS I WAS EXPECTING. THE INTERSECTING RWY (5/23) IS SOMEWHAT SHORT. I REMAINED OVER THE RWY UNTIL THE END OF THE PAVEMENT; THEN BEGAN A L TURN TO AVOID FLYING DIRECTLY OVER A NEW HOUSING AREA OFF THE END OF THE RWY. ALTHOUGH I WAS IN THE ACFT PATTERN AND IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING OFF; I MAY NOT HAVE HAD 500 FT CLRNC OVER THE HOUSES OR OVER PEOPLE WALKING ON THE RAMP AT THE ARPT (VERY NEAR RWY 5 THRESHOLD). IN THE FUTURE; I WILL EXTEND THE DEP FURTHER DOWN THE DEP RWY TO ENSURE GREATER GND CLRNC BEYOND THE ARPT BOUNDARY.