flight nine seventy-two
july 16, 2026
Cockpit Voice Recorder, excerpt Boeing 737-800, N417BR Cruise, FL330, en route ORD–SEA Excerpt: 20:14:00 to 20:24:38 UTC
Legend:
CAM cockpit area microphone (ambient)
CAPT captain
FO first officer
INT interphone (cabin)
PA public address, cockpit
RDO-1 radio, captain
RDO-2 radio, first officer
ZDV Denver ARTCC
DEN Denver Approach
20:14:02 CAM [cruise ambient, engine noise]
20:14:07 FO so who's throwing him the thing
20:14:10 CAPT Palmer, I heard. at the Elks in Barrington.
20:14:14 FO the Elks
20:14:16 CAPT the Elks.
20:14:19 FO I love that for him
20:14:23 CAPT thirty-eight years he wanted a party at the Elks
20:14:26 FO did he really
20:14:28 CAPT Palmer says he asked for it by name
20:14:33 FO you going
20:14:35 CAPT I'll go for an hour. Joyce is in from Boise the same weekend.
20:14:41 FO right
20:14:44 CAPT [pause] we've got weather building south around Rock Springs, want to ask for a nudge
20:14:49 FO I'll get it
20:14:53 RDO-2 Denver Center, nine seventy-two, requesting ten right for weather
20:14:58 ZDV nine seventy-two, cleared ten degrees right, advise back on course
20:15:02 RDO-2 ten degrees right, nine seventy-two
20:15:11 CAPT thanks
20:15:44 CAM [bang, followed by loud rush of air, approximately 2 seconds]
20:15:44 CAM [master caution]
20:15:45 CAM [CABIN ALT warning aural]
20:15:46 CAPT masks
20:15:46 CAM [sound of mask stowage doors opening]
20:15:48 FO masks on, hundred percent
20:15:49 CAPT hundred percent, established
20:15:51 FO I have your comm
20:15:53 CAPT emergency descent
20:15:54 FO emergency descent, checklist
20:15:55 CAM [autothrottle disconnect chime]
20:15:56 CAPT autothrottle off, speed brakes full
20:15:58 FO speed brakes full
20:15:59 CAPT heading select, right turn off airway
20:16:02 FO right turn, off airway
20:16:03 CAPT set ten thousand
20:16:04 FO ten thousand set, altitude selected
20:16:07 RDO-1 Mayday mayday mayday, Denver Center, nine seventy-two, rapid depressurization, emergency descent to one zero thousand, right turn heading two seven zero
20:16:14 ZDV nine seventy-two, roger, emergency descent your discretion, all traffic your area advised, altimeter three zero one two, say souls and fuel when able
20:16:20 RDO-1 when able, nine seventy-two
20:16:24 CAM [wind noise, sustained]
20:16:26 FO [through mask] passing three two zero, VMO
20:16:28 CAPT three two zero
20:16:30 FO rate seven thousand down
20:16:32 CAPT good
20:16:37 INT [chime] flight deck, this is Marla, we have a hole in the ceiling of the aft galley, everyone's on mask, we're strapped in, no injuries I can see
20:16:44 CAPT copy Marla, we're descending, stay strapped, I'll get back to you when we're level
20:16:48 INT copy, staying strapped
20:16:52 CAPT [to FO] hole in the aft galley
20:16:54 FO I heard
20:17:03 FO passing two seven zero, rate steady
20:17:06 CAPT good
20:17:10 FO you okay
20:17:12 CAPT yeah. you
20:17:14 FO yeah
20:17:31 RDO-2 Denver, nine seventy-two, souls one four seven including six crew, fuel three hours ten
20:17:38 ZDV nine seventy-two Denver, souls one four seven, fuel three ten, copy. state intentions when able.
20:17:44 RDO-2 intentions to follow, nine seventy-two
20:17:52 FO passing two zero zero
20:17:54 CAPT set MSA, what's the grid
20:17:56 FO one three thousand this quadrant, we're clear at ten
20:17:59 CAPT ten stays
20:18:14 FO passing one five zero
20:18:16 CAPT speed brakes, coming out at twelve
20:18:19 FO brakes coming out twelve
20:18:41 CAM [reduced wind noise]
20:18:44 FO speed brakes stowed, level ten thousand
20:18:47 CAPT thrust normal, autothrottle on, autopilot holding
20:18:51 FO confirmed
20:18:56 CAPT masks off, cabin's coming down, we're breathing.
20:19:00 CAM [sounds of mask removal, two occurrences]
20:19:03 FO [without mask] okay
20:19:05 CAPT okay
20:19:08 CAPT [exhale] all right
20:19:15 CAPT Denver, or somewhere closer
20:19:18 FO pull up the field list
20:19:20 CAPT Denver's closer than Salt Lake and it's got everything
20:19:23 FO Denver
20:19:28 RDO-1 Denver Center, nine seventy-two, level one zero thousand, request vectors direct KDEN, we'll take priority handling and equipment standing by, no reported injuries
20:19:37 ZDV nine seventy-two, roger, cleared direct Denver, descend and maintain nine thousand, contact Denver Approach one two zero point three five, equipment standing by
20:19:45 RDO-1 direct Denver, nine thousand, one two zero three five, nine seventy-two
20:19:53 FO nine thousand set
20:19:55 CAPT nine thousand
20:20:04 RDO-2 Denver Approach, nine seventy-two, with you nine thousand descending, direct KDEN, priority
20:20:10 DEN nine seventy-two Denver Approach, radar contact three eight miles northeast of Denver, expect the ILS two eight right, descend and maintain seven thousand
20:20:18 RDO-2 down to seven, ILS two eight right expected, nine seventy-two
20:20:26 CAPT PA
20:20:28 PA folks, this is the captain. we had a depressurization event and we are descending into Denver as a precaution. everyone in the back is fine. the flight attendants are secured. we'll be on the ground in about fifteen minutes. please stay in your seats with your seatbelts fastened. thank you.
20:20:52 INT [chime] flight deck, Marla
20:20:54 CAPT go ahead
20:20:55 INT row twenty-seven has a mom with a lap infant and she's asking if the baby is going to be okay
20:21:00 CAPT tell her the baby is fine, we're at a normal altitude now, and we'll be on the ground in fifteen minutes. tell her to keep the baby on her lap and hold on tight for the landing.
20:21:08 INT copy, telling her
20:21:11 CAPT Marla
20:21:12 INT yes
20:21:14 CAPT you did good.
20:21:16 INT thanks
20:21:24 CAM [pause, approximately four seconds]
20:21:28 FO you want me to fly it
20:21:30 CAPT no I'll fly it. you talk.
20:21:33 FO okay
20:21:41 FO approach briefing when you're ready
20:21:43 CAPT go ahead
20:21:46 FO ILS two eight right into Denver, elevation five three three one, we've got about ten miles of visibility per the last ATIS I have but I'll get the current, we're heavy on fuel so I'm going to run VREF plus five on the bug, we've got the runway length no problem, missed approach is straight ahead climb to seven thousand, emergency equipment will be on the runway per Approach, we'll clear off the runway if we can, if the airplane is not right we stop where we are and let them come to us
20:22:07 CAPT good
20:22:12 RDO-2 Denver Approach, nine seventy-two, request current ATIS
20:22:16 DEN nine seventy-two, current is information Xray, wind two seven zero at eight, visibility one zero, sky clear, temperature one eight, altimeter three zero one one, ILS approach two eight right in use
20:22:26 RDO-2 Xray, nine seventy-two, thank you
20:22:35 CAPT [pause] Kirsten
20:22:38 FO yeah
20:22:40 CAPT good work up there
20:22:42 FO you too
20:22:47 CAPT we're not done, but that was clean.
20:22:50 FO yeah
20:22:58 DEN nine seventy-two, descend and maintain five thousand, turn left heading two four zero, expect vectors for the ILS
20:23:05 RDO-2 down to five, left two four zero, nine seventy-two
20:23:10 FO five thousand set, heading two four zero
20:23:13 CAPT five thousand, two four zero
20:23:22 CAM [pause, approximately six seconds]
20:23:28 FO the Elks
20:23:30 CAPT [short laugh]
20:23:32 FO I want to see the invitation
20:23:34 CAPT I'll bring it Monday
20:24:07 DEN nine seventy-two, four from JEFPO, cleared ILS two eight right approach, contact tower one three three point three at JEFPO
20:24:14 RDO-2 cleared ILS two eight right, tower at JEFPO, nine seventy-two
20:24:22 CAPT landing checklist
20:24:24 FO landing checklist
20:24:26 CAPT flaps
20:24:28 FO flaps thirty, set
20:24:30 CAPT gear
20:24:32 FO gear down, three green
20:24:35 CAPT speed brake
20:24:37 FO armed
20:24:38 CAM [end of excerpt, recording continues]
Recording continued through touchdown 20:29:47 UTC and taxi-in. Aircraft cleared runway two eight right at taxiway M6 under its own power. No injuries. Cabin altitude peaked at 14,200 feet. Cause of decompression under investigation.