Continental Jet Returns to LAX Updated 2:17 AM ET May 25, 2000

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Electrical problems forced a Continental Airlines flight bound for Houston with 133 people aboard to return to Los Angeles minutes after takeoff Wednesday night, the airline said. No one was hurt. Some of the passengers aboard Flight 1016 said they could see flames coming from an engine immediately after takeoff.

"We were climbing and before we hit altitude the right motor started making noise and flaming and shook the whole plane. We saw flames on the right-hand side," passenger Jamie Bufford told KCOP-TV.

"They were probably about 5 feet long after the edge of the wing," passenger Doug Swain said of the flames.

Continental spokeswoman Julie Gardner said the Boeing 737-800 had electrical problems.

"The captain shut down the No. 2 engine and returned to LAX," she said. "Our maintenance personnel will evaluate the aircraft for the cause. The plane landed safely without a fire reported."

The flight left at 7:28 p.m., returning to the airport about 25 minutes later. It carried 128 passengers and five crew members.

http://news.excite.com/news/ap/000525/02/emergency-landing

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), May 25, 2000