Ill-fated pair connected in error (8,5)
I believe the answer is:
accident-prone
'ill-fated' is the definition.
'pair connected in error' is the wordplay.
'in error' indicates anagramming the letters.
'pair'+'connected'='pairconnected'
'pairconnected' is an anagram of 'ACCIDENT-PRONE'.
(Other definitions for accident-prone that I've seen before include "Given to mishaps" , "Clumsy" , "Susceptible to mishap" , "Given to misadventure" , "With a Tendency to suffer misfortune" .)