Hero of Conan Doyle's ill-fated craft (10)
I believe the answer is:
challenger
'hero' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?
I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for challenger that I've seen before include "professor of literature" , "Contender" , "Claimant" , "NASA space shuttle in nineteen eighty six disaster" , "One contesting a title" .)