The search for a plane believed down in the Blaney section was given added impetus yesterday when vultures were spotted circling an area in the Wateree River swamp.

Lt. James A. Newton of the Civil Air Patrol said Capt. A. B. C. Davis of the Army Aviation Section a Fort Jackson made the discovery on a search mission.

An intensified ground-air search is scheduled for the morning with the CAP, the Army Aviation Section and the National Guard participating. Lieutenant Newton said a Nation Guard helicopter and three Army planes would be used in the search.

According to the lieutenant, Captain Davis spotted the vultures circling an area in the swamp about 12 miles southeast of Blaney and about eight miles east of the Fort Jackson reservation. The lieutenant said there appeared to be fresh breaks in the tree tops in the area, indicating a heavy object had hit them.

The search has been going on since Thursday after hunters in the Blaney area reported seeing a plane “engulfed in flames” plummet toward the earth. There have been no planes unaccounted for in this area.

Although hampered by bad weather, the pilots have covered approximately 400 square miles in the search for the missing plane. Because of ground fog yesterday, the pilots were able to get in only three hours of flying time.