Simi Valley Track Team Saddened by Loss of Coach : Death: Assistant Don Muchmore was the pilot of the plane that crashed last week.

CAMARILLO — The worst fears of the Simi Valley track and field team came true at the Ventura County championships Friday night when the Pioneers found out there were no survivors in last week’s crash of a plane piloted by volunteer assistant coach Don Muchmore.

Muchmore, his wife Peggy, step-son Brandon Miller and friend Vanessa Gonzalez departed Coronado Airport in Albuquerque on April 18 in harsh weather conditions and disappeared shortly thereafter.

Miller a senior distance runner at Simi Valley, recently been awarded an academic scholarship to the University of Arkansas.

The four crash victims were returning to Santa Paula after spring break in Fayettville on April 17, but bumpy flying conditions had caused Muchmore’s three passengers to experience air-sickness and they spent the night in Albuquerque.