NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Three people were killed when an experimental airplane crashed into a North Las Vegas home early Friday morning, police say.

Fire crews responded to the call at around 6:30 a.m. that caused a blaze that engulfed the home at 2313 Langdon Way, about one mile from the North Las Vegas Airport.

The pilot and one person in the house were killed, said Deputy North Las Vegas Fire Chief Kevin Brame. A third person, who was a resident in the house, was taken to University Medical Center in critical condition, where the person later died, North Las Vegas police said.

“Our units were there within two minutes to the scene. Officers tried to get in the house, but because of the heat, we were unable to,” said North Las Vegas police Lt. Michael Kincaid.

Investigators said around 6:30 a.m., shortly after takeoff, the pilot radioed saying he wasn't gaining altitude.

Just moments after that, his plane struck the house and burst into flames.

“They had an intense fire situation because of the aviation fuel and the fuel from the products within the home,” said North Las Vegas Fire Chief Al Gillespie. “The plane had just recently taken off, so it probably had a good load of fuel on board. It carries about 70 to 75 gallons of fuel, so it does exacerbate our fire problem.”

Some neighbors said they are questioning whether these types of aircraft should fly in and out of an airport with so many homes surrounding it.

“I came out about 6:28. I heard a big boom, and I see smoke right away, and I run straight here, because I thought it was our building,” said witness Eva Sonders.

Witnesses said the fire was intense, and the crash reminded them of recent close calls.

“I'm scared, because we had a plane crash right outside this road, I think a couple years ago, and now this one. It's not a safe place to live,” Sonders said.

Airport officials said thousands of flights come in and out of North Las Vegas Airport every year.

They blame pilot error and mechanical malfunction for the crash -- not the airport's infrastructure.

Witnesses said they want to know, what is the airport traffic doing in their neighborhood?

“They shouldn't use this type of experiment-type of plane. I mean, come on, you have to be professional,” Sonders said.

Crews were at the scene all day, piecing together the cause of the crash.

The airplane has been identified as a rear-propeller Velocity 173 RG and is considered an "experimental aircraft," which is usually produced by someone from a kit, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor.

It was certified in 2002 and is owned by a Las Vegas resident, but authorities could not identify the pilot, who they said was not the owner.

The experimental plane had a total of about five hours of flight time before the crash. This was the first time it flew out of North Las Vegas Airport.

Officials said it carried around 75 gallons of fuel at the time of the crash, which intensified the situation for firefighters.

“They did an excellent job as they normally would do for a structure fire and began looking for victims as quickly as they could,” Gillespie said.

This is not the first incident of this type in North Las Vegas. In November 2006, there were two plane crashes in just three days. Then from May 2001 to May 2006, there were 29 flight related accidents at or near the airport, 21 of which were blamed on pilot error, while four were considered mechanical problems.

See North Las Vegas' History Of Plane Crashes

There was an emergency landing in the middle of a busy intersection in April 2007 in which no one was injured.

North Las Vegas Airport is the second-busiest airport in Nevada, averaging about 650 flights a day.

Last year, the North Las Vegas Airport was listed as the most dangerous airport in the U.S. by Forbes.com. Since 2001, Forbes.com said the airport has had 663 wrecks, a statistic Clark County aviation officials have been attempting to dispute.

Scott Baker, president of kit-creating company Velocity Inc., issued a statement in regards to the plane crash:

"We are deeply saddened by the news of this accident and the resulting loss of lives. FOX5's call was the first report that we received of the accident. Without knowing any of the details, it is impossible for us to offer comments relative to the accident.

"Velocity, Inc is an airframe parts provider that allows pilots to build their own aircraft in a home-workshop environment.

"Not included in kit are the engine, the propeller, the electronics or the flight instruments. These items are provided by the owner-builder of the aircraft. There have been no Velocity accidents that have been attributable to the design of the aircraft.

"The V173 is designed to withstand more than 7Gs and are not difficult to fly, and a private pilot's license is required to operate the aircraft and to carry passengers.

"Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the accident to determine its cause. The NTSB sometimes invites our company to assist with the investigation. Velocity, Inc has not been contacted by the NTSB regarding this accident."

The National Transportation Safety Board is putting together a report. Officials said most likely it will take 12 to 18 months before they reveal the details of the crash.

Disaster Action Team volunteers from the Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross responded to the scene of the fire.

The Red Cross will provide food to firefighters and personnel from the federal agencies involved in the investigation.

A Red Cross Mental Health volunteer has gone to UMC to provide support to the family members of those killed.