S01E01 North Hollywood Shootout
One of the most dramatic police gun battles ever waged on American soil took place in Hollywood in 1997. Go inside the violent stand-off as the bandits fire over 1,100 rounds of ammunition and shoot...
National Geographic: Situation Critical
S01E05: Downed Pilot
In 1995, U.S. Air Force Cpt. O'Grady was patrolling the skies above war-torn Bosnia when a Serb missile hit his fighter jet. Upon impact, O'Grady was safely ejected, but his parachute sailed into hostile territory and gunmen were on his trail.
Overview
In Situation Critical, we explore the unfolding action and the real people thrust into survivor mode by some of the most dramatic events in modern history.
This fast-paced series takes you inside the seemingly stable events that became headline disasters in a matter of minutes. Each hour-long episode combines archival footage, accurate re-enactments, advanced CGI and firsthand accounts from those at the centre of the action. Building suspense with each heart-pounding movement, we vividly break down the terrifying moments — outlining the life-threatening risks, daring decisions, frantic communications, evolving tactics and last-ditch efforts developing with each decisive tick of the clock.
Episodes
S01E02 Taliban Uprising
In 2001 Afghanistan, at the start of the war on terror, a pro-American Afghan army double-crossed and imprisoned Taliban fighters. A violent uprising begins when the Taliban fighters overpower their guards, seize weapons and open...
S01E03 Operation Certain Death
In war-torn Sierra Leone in 2000, thousands of armed rebels lived in the jungle. When members of the Royal Irish Rangers were ambushed and taken hostage, the British government launched a risky and grueling rescue...
S01E04 Apollo 13
Two days after Apollo 13's launch, an oxygen tank on board burst and the situation became perilous—200,000 miles (321,868 kilometers) above Earth. Personal accounts bring one of the most famous space rescues in history to...
S01E05 Downed Pilot
In 1995, U.S. Air Force Cpt. O'Grady was patrolling the skies above war-torn Bosnia when a Serb missile hit his fighter jet. Upon impact, O'Grady was safely ejected, but his parachute sailed into hostile territory...
S01E06 Hell on High Water
The 54th Sydney to Hobart yacht race turned into one of the worst sporting disasters in history. Almost 100 vessels faced brutal 90-mph winds and towering 60-foot waves. Hell on High Water revisits the tragedy...
S01E07 Killing Pablo
In the 1980s and 1990s, Pablo Escobar made billions as one of the world's biggest drug dealers. The U.S. backed a massive manhunt to bring Escobar to justice. Retrace the effort to assassinate the most...
S01E08 Moscow Siege
On October 23, 2002, a group of rebel terrorists enter Moscow's Dubrovka Theater. Russian officials struggle to save the hostages without surrendering to terrorist demands. Hear firsthand survivor accounts and find out how a secret...
S01E09 Entebbe Hostage Rescue
On June 27th, 1976 a routine flight from Israel to Paris carrying 258 passengers becomes the target for a gang of International terrorists. With the lives of so many hanging in the balance the world...
S01E10 Running Out of Air
A Russian Navy mini-submarine is on a secret mission in North Pacific. In the gloom, hundreds of feet below the surface, it accidentally becomes entangled in a discarded fishing net. A desperate race against time...
S01E11 Al Qaeda Ambush
In March, 2002, Navy SEAL Neil Roberts prepares for a nighttime mission in Afghanistan as part of Operation Anaconda. Robert's Special Forces unit prepares to fly deep into enemy territory. Outgunned and outnumbered, they face...
S01E12 Coal Mine Disaster
On July 24, 2002, a routine mining excursion in Somerset, Pa., goes terribly wrong when a miner accidentally drills into an abandoned mine. Sixty million gallons of water is unleashed onto the miner and 17...
S01E13 Nightmare on Mt. Hood
In May, 2002, nine climbers tumble into a gaping crevasse in Mt. Hood, Oregon. As one man crashes into another on the slopes, three are killed instantly. A rescue helicopter approaches but loses power in...
