HOUSTON -- Less than half an hour after taking off from Bush Intercontinental Airport in July, Continental Flight 458 was in trouble . With 120 people aboard, including seven Texas congressmen, the plan suddenly lost cabin pressure.

On Friday, 11 News obtained the communication recordings between the plane and air traffic controllers.

Pilot: We’d like to declare an emergency at this time. We’ve got 120 souls on board and 180 minutes left of fuel.

Traffic controller: Continental 458, you want to change your destination to New Orleans?

Pilot: That’s affirmative, Continental 458.

Ironically, the seven congressmen on board the plane were headed back to Washington to vote on the Aviation Safety Enhancement Act. The Texas congressmen on the flight were Rep. Ted Poe, Rep. Nick Lampson, Rep. Ron Paul, Rep. John Carter, Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, Rep. Solomon Ortiz and Rep. Henry Cuellar

It was their safety in question, though, as the Boeing 737 deployed oxygen masks and began a steep dive from 38,000 feet.

Pilot: Continental 458 requesting descent to 10,000, when able.

Traffic controller: Continental 458 descend and maintain one, zero, thousand.

Pilot: Copy. One, zero, thousand. Continental 458.

Along with the audio recordings, 11 News also got a copy of a preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration that calls the incident a “deviation.” The report draws no conclusions about what caused the plane to lose cabin pressure.

The audio recordings, however, reveal how calm the pilots and air traffic controllers handled the situation.

Traffic controller: Continental 458, we’ve got the trucks standing by at the station. Do you want them at the runway?

Pilot: Yeah, if you could roll them out. That would be fine.

Traffic controller: Ground, he’s asking for an Alert 2.

Ground controller: Alert 2, sure.

Traffic controller: Continental 458, the trucks are scrambling now for the runway, contact New Orleans tower 119.5.

Pilot: 119.5. And we appreciate your help today sir.

Flight control: Sure thing.

Within three minutes, the plane landed safely and without injuries. Still, there is no explanation as to why the plane lost cabin pressure as the FAA continues to investigate.