LAS VEGAS -- A preliminary report has been released for a plane crash that killed three people in North Las Vegas last week.

The aircraft was homemade -- built and flown by Mack Murphree, 76.

He was flying over a residential area when, for unknown reasons, the plane came crashing down into a home.

Murphree and two others were killed, Lucy and Jack Costa, who were both at home during the collision.

The exact cause for the wreck is still under investigation, but there is new information on the aircraft's capabilities. The report also shows Murphree was no stranger to the sky.

Moments after takeoff, an experimental Killgore kit plane crashed into a home, killing the pilot and an elderly couple.

The report shows that when an air traffic controller asked if Murphree needed assistance, he responded, ‘I'm going down.’

The pilot had constructed the plane himself and put in a supercharger, which is commonly used on planes and even racecars.

"Generally, it allows the airplane to maintain its rated horsepower all the way up to a higher altitude. Normally, as you climb, you lose power. In a supercharged plane, that altitude you can maintain goes up," said Shawn Mullin, pilot and owner of Elite Aviation.

The supercharger had been tested several times before the crash, but this was the first time it had been used in flight.

The aircraft itself had passed safety and maintenance checks. Plus, Murphree had a transport pilot certificate and had completed all of his flight hours, according to the report.

That's the only way he was allowed to fly over a highly-populated area.

Mullin said normally, kit builders lacking exposure must stick with more rural regions. Las Vegas is the place to learn the ropes, he said.

“If you went per aircraft that comes in and out of here, this is probably one of the safest places to be at," Mullin said.

But anything can happen, not matter what plane is flown, and no matter how much experience the pilot has.

"I’ve talked to a couple of people who knew him. They all say he was a very experienced pilot," Mullin said. "There are a lot of unexpected things that go on. You've got to do the best with what you're given ... I think he probably weighed whatever options he had, and took the best one."

About five percent of all planes are kit or experimental planes, and it can take anywhere from three to six months to get certified to fly, which includes plenty of training for emergencies.

The final report is still being completed, but there has been no word yet on when it will be released.