Yes, that's a Hercules circling overhead (update)

9 a.m. update:

The Royal Canadian Air Force advises SooToday that the search has been ended and case closed after the intermittent signals were determined to be coming from a residential area in the north end of the city.

There was no distress involved.

Original story:

Loyal SooToday readers are sending photos of a plane circling the skies over Sault Ste. Marie.

We checked with National Defence and confirmed the plane is a CC-130 Hercules from 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron out of 8 Wing Trenton.

"[The Hercules] had been tasked to conduct an electronic search in the Sault Ste. Marie, one that is still in progress," says Major James Simiana, Public Affairs, Royal Canadian Air Force.

"This activity follows reports of intermittent signals in the Sault Ste. Marie area that were reported earlier today by the Toronto Area Control Centre to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton," says Simiana. "As well today, a Transport Canada Dash-7 pollution monitoring aircraft had also been requested to monitor for any signals while on a patrol from Thunder Bay to Kingston; it reported hearing no signals from an aircraft emergency locator transmitter."

Simiana added that a Coast Guard helicopter in the area is also assisting in the monitoring activity.

At this point the nature of the intermitten signals is unknown, he said.

Click here to view video of the Hercules circling overhead