Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008 | 1 p.m.
N. Las Vegas Plane Crash
An experimental plane crashed into a home Friday morning in North Las Vegas, killing the pilot and two people on the ground.
Sun archives
- Aug. 25 -- Pilot whose plane crashed into home identified
- Aug. 23 -- Plane crash’s victims were elderly couple
- Aug. 22 -- Plane maker 'saddened,' says design not at fault
- Aug. 22 -- Report on fatal plane crash expected in a week
The flight of an experimental plane that crashed after takeoff from North Las Vegas Airport Friday was the first time that a supercharger attached to the engine was used, a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board said today.
The four-seat, rear-propeller Velocity 137 RG took off about 6:28 a.m. Friday and moments later crashed through the roof of a home at 2313 Langdon Way, where Jack and Lucy Costa lived.
The crash killed the Costas and 76-year-old Mack Creekmore Murphree Jr., of Dayton, Nev., an experienced pilot, mechanic and engineer with 6,250 hours of total flight time.
The owner and builder of the aircraft, Mike L. Killgore, was interviewed by the chief crash investigator of the NTSB, the report said.
Killgore told the investigator that the supercharger had been tested during high speed taxi tests and ground runs the week before the accident. It was the first time that the supercharger was on during a flight.
The investigator also reported that as of March 17, the airplane had a total flight time of 5.1 hours.
The aircraft had a special airworthiness certificate issued on March 9.
It could take up to a year before the cause of the aircraft crash is determined. After the crash, the remnants of the plane, which was build from a kit, were taken to a warehouse in North Las Vegas.
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