2017-03-04 - Monson, ME

I didn't see an object but there a low flying helicopter with a spotlight was seen along with other aircraft

I was playing a video game tonight and heard a low-flying helicopter go over my house. It was enough to shake my house, and also several of my neighbors went outside to see what was going on. I didn't actually see the helicopter, but my neighbor said that it "had a big spotlight on it" and looked like it was looking at the power lines on our street and then it flew off. Several seconds later, I yelled up the street to my closest neighbor and said "what the _____ was that?" And he replied he didn't know what was going on.

I went back inside for a few moments and figured it was a search helicopter or Lifelight (we have snowmobile trails here and several people become injured or lost) and I figured maybe that's what was going on. We have had helicopters flying low before looking for marijuana but it's the dead of winter and I'd highly doubt that was the cause.

Anyway I went outside to see if the helicopter was going to make a circle back. I heard the sound of a plane off in the distance, went to my backyard and saw 3-4 aircraft off toward Borestone Mountain which is about 10 miles away. They appeared to be either jets or helicopters. As it was night time I could only make out the lights and that they were moving "left to right".

At that moment I was pretty sure something had happened and decided to call the sheriff's department and notified them of what was happening. They said that they had "no reports" of Lifelight or any other aircraft (from an emergency standpoint) in the area. The dispatcher on the phone said "you are the only person to call in about it TONIGHT." I asked, "has this happened before?". She said that she had had reports in the past of aircraft in the Monson area and low-flying helicopters as recently as a week ago. I didn't give them my name but told them in general where I live as I didn't want to sound crazy.

I then went to the store and talked to a clerk who had said she saw the helicopter. Another friend across town also mentioned on Facebook she thought the "helicopter was going to land on her house." I know I didn't see an object - but what is making me report this is that after I had returned home, I looked above my house and noticed more aircraft and a suspicious low-cloud at the end of my street. It is pretty windy here tonight, and the cloud DID NOT move. It seemed to be like a trail and it was going in the direction of the mountain I had previously mentioned. I showed my neighbor who remarked the cloud looked weird - the moon lit it up in the dark. It is a clear night and very cold with wind.

I am just wondering if it was perhaps a military exercise or there was some kind of incident like a UFO, maybe something crashed?

I live in rural Maine and although we get military planes occasionally it is below zero and I doubt any training would be going on - especially so close to the ground. I didn't see an object but am curious as to what it could be. I've heard of reports like this in the past that have happened around the world and I have an avid interest in UFOs.