"One of the ladies approached the balloon with a lighted candle, when the inflammable gas took fire."

An early flying machine had an accident and human error only made things worse, as described in an article in the November 6, 1850 Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The story in full:

“The flying machine owned by Captain Taggart, which took unceremonious French leave of its owner at Jersey City, last Wednesday, has, it appears, been destroyed, at Hempstead, on Long Island. The Suffolk Democrat gives the following interesting account of the affair:

‘On Wednesday evening last, at half-past six o’clock, a large balloon, with a beautiful car attached descended near the house of Jonathan Gildersleeve, at Clay Pitts, in this town. The car became entangled in the fence of a lane leading to the dwelling and barn while the balloon gently swayed with the world above it. When it was first discovered by a son of Mr. Gildersleeve, it occasioned a great deal of surprise, and he called to aid a brother and his wife, and his mother to assist securing it. A large opening was made in the balloon to permit the air to escape; but unfortunately at this moment one of the ladies approached the balloon with a lighted candle, when the inflammable gas took fire, and a violent explosion immediately followed, knocking down the whole party, and burning the two young men on the face and hands. The ladies escaped with very slight injuries. The balloon was torn to pieces, and enkindled in a blaze at the same time–and the beautiful car, with its machinery, greatly damaged. The varnished material of the balloon burned so vividly as to set the fence on fire–which, from its proximity to the barn and dwelling, would have communicated the flames to these also, but for the exertions of the injured persons, who, though in great agony, subdued the fire, by tearing down the fence, and throwing water upon the burning fragments of the balloon. The light of the explosion was noticed at the distance of several miles, and the concussion was so great that it was sensibly experienced by the inmates of a dwelling half a mile distant.”