THE site where two men were killed when their light aircraft crashed into a remote Gwent hillside has been cleared of the debris.

As the first picture was released yesterday of one of the men, 52-year-old Gerald Prangley, from Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Gwent Police confirmed their involvement in dealing with the aftermath of the accident in Cwmbran on Monday afternoon had finished.

Investigators from the Air Accident Investigation Branch are still trying to find the cause of the crash, but initial reports seemed to show the Piper Tomahawk P38 had collided with electricity lines on a nearby pylon.

The other man who died in the crash at around noon on Monday was 50-year-old Kevin Mansbridge of Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.

Both were members of the Cardiff Wales Flying Club, with more than 1,000 hours of flying experience between them, and had flown the route, from Cardiff Wales Airport to Herefordshire, many times.

The accident shocked residents close to the crash scene in Upper Cwmbran.

Local councillor John Cunningham said the mood since the incident happened over the usually-happy Easter break had been "very sombre".

"People up here are very upset about what happened and saddened at the fact that two people died," he said.

"They are all talking about the incident and the question on many people's minds is what exactly happened?

There is an awful lot of speculation, as the weather wasn't bad and it was apparently a flight path used quite frequently."

He said people living directly in the shadow of the hill had also been contemplating the thought of it crashing a few metres away from the spot.

"We are all shocked that it happened near our homes and you start to think 'what if it had come a bit lower?'.

"There is The Square and other houses close by, so it could have been much worse. Everyone feels for the men's families and the mood is very sombre."