One of the greatest fighter pilots, Manfred von Richthofen — the famous “Red Baron” — once said that “air combat requires the last drop of blood, the last drop of fuel, and the last beat of the heart.”

That saying fits almost perfectly with Squadron Leader Kostas Iliakis, the “eagle” of Crete as he was called, who on May 23, 2006 took off for his final interception.

For him, it was just another day at work that Tuesday in May, when he was informed he had to scramble immediately, as Turkish fighter jets had violated Greek airspace.

They were escorting a RF-4 photo-reconnaissance aircraft, which was possibly on a mission to photograph Greek S-300 missile systems in Crete, so an alarm was triggered at the 115th Combat Wing in Souda.

A pair of F-16 Block 52+ jets took off, and Kostas Iliakis unknowingly headed into his final engagement. At the same time, several nautical miles off Karpathos, Turkish pilot Ibrahim Hali, flying an F-16, was one of the escorts of the reconnaissance aircraft.

The aerial engagement near Karpathos

Shortly before 13:20, the Greek fighters located the Turkish aircraft flying near Karpathos and identification and interception began.

Kostas Iliakis was an exceptional pilot, a passionate “Icarus” who had loved aircraft since childhood. When the time came for university entrance exams, the Hellenic Air Force Academy was the only choice he wrote on his application.

After graduating, he attended the Tactical Weapons School and then the Tactical Leadership Program. In 2002, he was one of ten pilots sent to the United States for training on the then-new F-16 Block 52+. He was flying one of those aircraft on that fateful Tuesday when the fatal dogfight unfolded over Karpathos and he engaged with the Turkish pilot.

As he approached the RF-4, according to audio recordings from that day, he told his colleague to stay behind a Turkish fighter, and his final words to the Operations Center were:
“‘Kronos’, 550 (Iliakis) is going for the ‘fat one’ (RF-4). I am behind him.”

The deadly maneuver

Ibrahim Hali suddenly performed a lethal maneuver, flying over Iliakis’ F-16 and likely striking the canopy of the Greek fighter with his wing.

The “eagle” of Crete died instantly, while the Turkish aircraft entered a spin after losing a wing, but Hali managed to eject and parachute into the Karpathian Sea.

The second Greek pilot immediately informed the Operations Center, initially reporting without a clear picture:
“‘Kronos’, I see fire straight ahead at 20 miles, like an explosion…”

Shortly after, he added:
“‘Kronos’, two F-16s have collided south of Karpathos,” a phrase that caused shock among all involved in the operation.

At the same time, Athens and Ankara went on alert status. The Hellenic Air Force scrambled 40 fighter jets, Turkey launched 80, and a Greek special forces unit (Underwater Demolition Commandos) arrived by helicopter at the site of the incident.

A few nautical miles away, the Panama-flagged merchant vessel “Gus Century” rescued the Turkish pilot from the sea, while shortly after, two rescue helicopters arrived — one Greek and one Turkish.

A crack in the helmet

Ibrahim Hali refused Greek assistance and threatened Greek rescuers with a pistol, while the Greek Chief of the Armed Forces, Admiral Panagiotis Chinofotis, and his Turkish counterpart Hilmi Özkök, communicated in order to prevent escalation.

Eventually, Greek rescuers handed Hali over to Turkish personnel, filming the exchange, while a few days later two canvas bags were delivered to the 115th Combat Wing.

Among the recovered items was the helmet of Squadron Leader Kostas Iliakis, which bore a crack at the back, along with other objects confirming the death of the 36-year-old man who had loved the sky since childhood and dreamed of becoming an “Icarus.”