Charlie 217

Summary
Charlie 217 was a Pelican dropship attatched to the Pillar of Autumn during Halo: The Flood. When the Autumn crashed on Installation 04, Charlie 217 was thought to be destroyed. It had actually managed to survive intact although it was separated from the rest of the UNSC personnel at Alpha Base. During that time it was captured by the Covenant, who subsequently killed everyone on board except the pilot, Lieutenant Rick Hale. Later Zuka 'Zamamee and team of 30 SpecOps Elites used the Pelican as a means to infiltrate Alpha Base to hunt for the Master Chief. Upon landing, 'Zamamee killed Hale while the Elite team, cloaked in Active Camofluage, attacked the crew in the base. Charlie 217 was then destroyed by the UNSC personnel when they set fire to nearby fuel, which exploded. The explosion killed many of the Elite in and around the ship.

The next day, First Lieutenant Melissa McKay took the wreckage and used it to set a trap for the Covenant, by making it appear as if 'Zamamee's unit had crashed before reaching its intended target. Though the Covenant responded, so did the Flood, and a melee between the three races ensued.