NNSL (May 10/99) - Two Norman Wells men were rescued unharmed after their Cessna 140 airplane, flipped while landing on Oscar Lake, just outside Norman Wells last Tuesday.

"They landed on the lake, they were slowing down when they hit a snowbank and the airplane flipped upside down," said Capt. Ray Jacobson, an air controller with the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Trenton, Ont. "But both gentlemen egressed (exited the plane) without even so much as a bruise."

Jacobson didn't know whether the men were heading to or from Norman Wells, but said it was a local flight. He said the incident occurred around 9:15 p.m.

Jacobson said RCC Trenton enlisted the help of two pilots flying from Fort Good Hope to Inuvik -- Carl Falsnes and Shane McPherson, to search for the men.

Falsnes, who, together with his wife Darina and father Olav, operates Arctic Wings, an Inuvik-based company. He said he and McPherson were able to spot the plane after the pilot and passenger sent up flares.

"Within two hours (of first being contacted), we had located him," said Falsnes, who is chief pilot for Arctic Wings as well as director of flight operations. "He was quite surprised we found him that quick."

The men were picked up by helicopter, taken to Norman Wells where they were checked for injury and then released.

Jacobson didn't know why the men were trying to land on the lake, but said it wasn't because of engine failure or any other emergency.

"It wasn't a forced landing," he said. "A snowbank ruined a nice landing."