Could Richard Heene face any charges from the Federal Aviation Administration for launching his balloon?

7News asked the FAA, and officials there said they have started an investigation and that Heene could face at the lowest level a letter of reprimand or he could receive a more severe punishment, a monetary fine. The FAA would not say what that fine could be.

Allen Kenitzer with the Northwest Mountain Region office of the FAA said, "There is always a chance for some type of penalty. It depends on what we find out in the investigation."

The regulations that could have been violated are outlined in the FAA's Title 14, part 101 code that regulates moored balloons, kites, amateur rockets and unmanned free balloons.

It is not necessary to have a pilot's license to fly an unmanned balloon, but the FAA still regulates them.

Since the FAA doesn't have any criminal enforcement authority, it could not charge Heene with any crime, just levy a fine. Even though the investigation started Friday, officials told 7News that it could take several weeks or even months for it to be fully complete.

Some people have asked why Heene called the FAA before calling 911. There is a specific rule in the regulations that requires "the operator to immediately notify the nearest air traffic control facility and estimate the flight path." It is part of the same rule that requires an automatic rapid deflate device on the craft if it gets loose as this one did.

Heene could be investigated under two sections of the FAA regulations, one for moored balloons and the other under amateur aircraft.