Montgomery County sentinel., 1963-08-01
Boy Pilot
Gets Only
Light Term

A 17-year-old Derwood
youth, who already has spent
more than nine months in
Jail while awaiting trial, was
given a suspended sentence
Monday for his role in the
death of a girl passenger in
the crash of a plane he was
flying last October.
Judge Walter H. Norman
ordered a three.year sentence in
the Maryland House of Correc-
ton for David A. Price, who
had pleaded guilty to a man.
slaughter charge at a hearing
last Thursday, and then sus-
pended the term in putting the
youth on probation for a two.
year period.
Fatally injured when the
plane crashed near Laytonsville
at night last Oct. 10 after Price
had taken it up without permis-
sion, was Bernadette Flint of
Baltimore, who was described
as the fiancee of the defend
ants brother, Samuel, who also
was passenger. The two
brothers escaped with painful
but not severe injuries.
In imposing sentence, Judge
Moorman gave consideration to
the fact that the boy had re.
mained in Jail since his arrest
three days after the crash be-
cause of his fathers inability to
obtain money required for bond.
Nevertheless, he lectured Price
sternly and warned him that he
would be returned to prison for
another two years if he failed
to return to school or misbe.
haved in any manner.
According to testimony at the
trial, young Price had been en-
ployed at the Montgomery
County Airpark until a short
time before the accident and
had received several lessons in
flying. He did not have a Ii.
cense, however, and admitted
that he had flown planes on
several other occasions without
aa1tflority. .-.. .s-s.s .-rFFsnv
II didn't have permission ? he
told the court, 'Sbut I never tried
to hide 1t from anyone"
Price testified he invited his
brother and his fiancee to fly
with him about 10 pm. the
night Of the crash and had been
aloft for a few minutes when
"a control jammed," shortly
after the engine suffered brief
ly. Despite his efforts to level
the plane, he said, it plunged
downward and crashed nose
first, throwing the girl out al
though he and his brother were
held In their seats by safety
belts.
The youth said he had been
employed at the airport for
about two years until he quit
his job several weeks before the
fatal crash after being criticized
by a superior for things
didn't have anything to do
with"
In his final argument Assist.
ant States Attorney Alfred Bur-
ka told Judge Moorman that
the boy had been unanimously
liked" by employees at the air.
port and said he felt the acci-
dent was largely the result of
poor judgment, particularly
from the standpoint of taking
passengers with him when he
didn't know anything about the
plane"
After entering a plea of
guilty at the start of the trial,
defense attorney Bernard Welsh
concluded his case with the
contention that an acquittal
would be justified under the
circumstances involved. He said
he was convinced the boy felt
no sense of danger at the time
because he thought he was a
good pilot"
Despite the tragic climax,
Welsh declared, this boy did
just about what any other boy
OF his age might do If he was
deeply interested in aviation-it
was just this type of interest
that produced the Lindberghs
and the Earharts."