Charlie 217

Charlie 217 was a Pelican dropship attached to the Pillar of Autumn up to and including the Battle of Installation 04. When the Autumn crashed on Installation 04, Charlie 217 was thought to be destroyed, and was listed as missing in action. In reality, it had actually managed to survive intact, although it was separated from the rest of the UNSC personnel at Alpha Base.

It was quickly captured by the Covenant, who subsequently killed everyone on board except the pilot, Lieutenant Rick Hale. Later, Zuka 'Zamamee and a team of 30 SpecOps Elites used the captured Pelican as a means to infiltrate Alpha Base to hunt for the Master Chief.

Before Hale completed landing, 'Zamamee killed him and landed it himself. He and the thirty Elites, cloaked in Active Camouflage, attacked the crew in the base. Charlie 217 was destroyed soon after it landed by UNSC personnel. Fuel was sprayed on the landing pad and lit, destroying the Pelican and many of the Elites in the resulting explosion.

The wreckage of Charlie 217 was used by First Lieutenant Melissa McKay the next day as a trap for Covenant forces. The Covenant that responded fell into the Marine ambush, a fitting end to the life of the dropship, despite the intervening of the Flood that followed.