Watch: Flames shoot out of plane's engine, aircraft returns back to Houston airport

A Southwest Airlines plane that had flames shooting out of an engine returned to a Houston airport about 30 minutes after take-off this week.

The Boeing 737 was bound for Cancun International Airport in Mexico on Tuesday but returned to William P Hobby Airport. Videos showed the flames coming from one of its engines.

“We felt like a little air pocket going up. And then I heard the 'boom', and then you started smelling kind of the fuel,” passenger Jordan Kleinecke told ABC News.

The Dallas-based airline said the plane experienced a 'mechanical issue' shortly after take-off. It landed safely and was taken out of service for review.

A different plane took the passengers on to Cancun, the airline said.