MAXWELL, Texas -- Caldwell County officials confirmed that a Saturday morning hot air balloon crash killed 16 people.

Lynn Lunsford with the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the accident happened about 7:40 a.m. Saturday when the hot air balloon crashed into a pasture.

Deputies arrived to the scene off of Jolley Road north of Cistern in the Maxwell area. They found the basket portion of the balloon in flames.

The land near the crash site is mostly farmland. Cutting through that farmland is a row of massive, high-capacity transmission lines, and the site of the crash appears to be right below the overhead lines.

Erik Grosof with the NTSB said during a Saturday afternoon update that the balloon belonged to Heart of Texas Balloon Rides.

Crews are looking into weather as a potential factor in the crash. A witness to the fire that filled the sky said that before the balloon crashed, it had been foggy.

A "Go Team" from the NTSB is has taken over the investigation.

Grosof said the "significant loss of life" makes the scene a difficult one to process.

As the afternoon wore on, residents and visitors from neighboring counties reached out to investigators working the scene. A San Marcos man arrived to hand out sandwiches and bottles of water to crew members.

Those crew members were relieved from keeping watch over the scene when the "Go Team" arrived later Saturday evening.

The FBI's San Antonio bureau tweeted they are assisting the NTSB with the investigation.

Grosof said a call to the FBI's Evidence Response Team is normal in cases of "major accidents," of which Saturday's crash is categorized.

“Much like a crime scene, you only get once chance at it, so we want to make sure we do everything correctly," said Grosof. "Thanks to the cooperation of all of these agencies standing next to me and behind me we’ve been able to start on the right foot with that.”

Experts will now have the tough task of determining whether this tragedy could have been prevented.

-- More on Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides --

As investigators try to figure out what happened in Saturday’s fatal hot air balloon crash we’re learning a little about the balloon company involved.

According to the Associated Press, the company is Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides.

The company's website lists a San Marcos shopping center as one of several business locations near Lockhart.

Time Warner Cable News talked to Walmart employees off camera and none of them have heard of a hot air balloon company operating from the store.

The balloon company also lists another location in New Braunfels -- also inside a Walmart store.

On its social media accounts, people are posting condolences, comments, and some even looking for answers, trying to figure out what happened Saturday morning.

All the company's accounts remain silent.

Time Warner Cable News reached out to balloon operators Heart of Texas Hot Air Balloon Rides, but they declined our request for an interview.

A Better Business Bureau listing for the business shows the company was not accredited with them, and had a "D+" rating based on a handful of complaints registered there.

-- Loved Ones, Co-Workers Begin Revealing Identities of Victims -- 

Authorities have not released the names of those who were on board and have not said who was flying the balloon.

However on Sunday, family members began to speak to the media about their loss.

A newlywed couple is now known to have been among the victims. Brent Jones told CNN that Matt and Sunday Rowan had been married for less than six months.

Sunday had bought the balloon ride for her husband as a birthday gift.

"Sunday was messaging her mom before getting on the balloon," Jones said. "Soon after takeoff, she stopped all communication."

Alfred "Skip" Nichols identifies himself on his Facebook page as the chief pilot of Heart of Texas and pictures posted by him are on the business' Facebook page.

Nichols, 49, is also the registered owner of Missouri-based Air Balloon Sports LLC.

Time Warner Cable News' efforts to speak with company representatives throughout the weekend were unsuccessful. However, ground crew supervisor Alan Lirette confirmed to the Associated Press that Nichols was piloting the balloon and was killed along with 15 other passengers.

Lirette called Nichols his "best friend, boss and roommate."

-- NTSB Raised Concerns with FAA About Potential Hot Air Balloon Accidents --

Warning about potential high-fatality accidents, safety investigators recommended two years ago that the FAA impose greater oversight on commercial hot air balloon operators, government documents show. The FAA rejected those recommendations.

In a letter to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta in April 2014, the National Transportation Safety Board urged the FAA to require tour companies to get agency permission to operate, and to make balloon operators subject to FAA safety inspections. The FAA's Huerta responded that regulations were unnecessary because the risks were too low.

After Huerta's reply, the NTSB classified the FAA's response to the two balloon safety recommendations as "open-unacceptable," which means the safety board was not satisfied with the FAA's response.

Speaking to the AP just before leaving for Texas to lead the crash investigation, NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt said he was studying the board's recommendations from previous hot air balloon accidents. "I think the fact that it is open-unacceptable pretty much speaks for itself," he said.

He also noted that the team was still trying to gather basic information about the accident.

FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said it's difficult to say whether the Texas crash will cause the agency to reconsider NTSB's recommendations "until we've had a chance to gather and examine the evidence in this particular case."

-- State Leader Reactions --

Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement following the crash, which reads:

"Cecilia and I extend our deepest condolences for all those who have been affected by today’s heartbreaking tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, as well as the Lockhart community. The investigation into the cause of this tragic accident will continue, and I ask all of Texas to join us in praying for those lost."

From Sen. Ted Cruz:

“Heidi and I lift up in prayer all who have been impacted by today’s tragic accident in Lockhart and send our condolences to all who have lost their loved ones. As always, Texans are strong in the face of adversity, and we all stand together in support of the families and entire Lockhart community as they respond to and begin to heal from this terrible incident.” 

On Sunday, Pope Francis released a statement of condolence through his Secretary of State to the Bishop of Austin.