| Crash location | 38.733333°N, 122.583333°W |
| Nearest city | Middletown, CA
38.752404°N, 122.614985°W 2.2 miles away |
| Tail number | N3361C |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 04 Feb 2003 |
| Aircraft type | Beech F35 |
| Additional details: | None |
On February 4, 2003, about 0755 Pacific standard time, a Beech F35, N3361C, collided with a fence and a house during takeoff from a private dirt airstrip near Middleton, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal cross-country flight was en route to Ukiah, California.
The pilot reported that he was flying to work from a 1,600-feet-long private, dirt strip. The run-up was normal and he added power for takeoff. During the takeoff roll, one wheel drifted into softer dirt on the edge of the runway; as a result, the airplane slowed. The pilot maneuvered the airplane back to the runway and realized he was close to a barbed wire fence. He pulled back on the yoke but the main tires hit the top wire. Shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted a house.
The pilot's failure to attain an adequate takeoff airspeed and failure to abort the takeoff when the lack of acceleration was apparent.