Roll of Honor
Incident
Special Agent Charles Ellington, Special Agent Michael Lynch, Special Agent Terry Hereford, and Special Agent Robert Conners were killed in an aircraft accident while on approach to Cincinnati's Lunken Airport near Montgomery, Ohio. The agents were accompanying a bank fraud suspect and his lawyer to Cincinnati during an investigation. When the plane was approximately 11 miles from Lunken Airport its altimeter indicated false readings, leading the pilots to believe they were at a higher altitude. As a result, the plane struck a set of power lines and crashed, killing all aboard. The plane was being piloted by Special Agent Conners and Special Agent Hereford when it crashed. Special Agent Ellington was a Vietnam War veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Survivors
He had served with the FBI for three years and was survived by his wife and one child.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-82F3671F- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Special Agent Ellington gave the United States Department of Justice 3 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Charles L. Ellington served in the Marine Corps (1964â1968) before joining law enforcement.
Special Agent Charles L. Ellington is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In DC, 454 of 1,419 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation, 30 of 89 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles L. Ellington's cause is highlighted.
How Charles L. Ellington Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Charles L. Ellington is highlighted in Dec.
Others Who Wore This Badge
88 officers from United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
