Following the catastrophic 1906 San Francisco earthquake , Montgomery 's gliding experiments were curtailed until 1911 . Montgomery began experimenting with a new control system in which pitch and roll of the glider were managed by wing warping , while the tail assembly was fixed . Montgomery intended to add a motor and apply for a patent . This glider , '' The Evergreen '' ( named after the region where flight tests occurred on the hillsides east of San Jose , California ) , was flown by Montgomery as well as another aeronaut Reinhardt more than 50 times in October 1911 . On October 31 Montgomery was attempting to land at low speed and encountered turbulence , which caused a stall . He crashed and died at the site of his injuries . The hillside ( now known as " Montgomery Hill " ) is just behind Evergreen Valley College . John J. Montgomery was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma , California on November 3 , 1911
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
John Joseph Montgomery