I think it is an opportunity for us all to learn, IMHO it was the momentum more than the weight. I could have been smaller or just dropped to the ground first as noted.
I could see trying to save long chunks for milling, but even then that peice was not very straight and pretty oddly shaped.
I still feel the crane operator was less at fault, lest he walk back there and review every tie on and approve each cut. and I just don't see that as expected.
I'd bet it goes to a jury when the insurance companies start to decide liability.
wonder who the homeowner thinks is at fault?
I wonder what made the arborist give the tree a poor health rating and convince the homeowners it was an unsafe tree.
none of the cuts I saw had bad wood in them and the tree was leaved out real pretty, Im thinking some weight taken out of it and perhaps cabling it would have outlasted that house. perhaps another 50 to a 100 years.
personally I would have taken the risk it might fall in order to keep such a big pretty tree as an asset to the property. It looks like it was saved during construction.
Tree guy could have sold a thinning and cabling job and made a decent profit, but he evidently convinced them it was unsafe.
Perhaps it was but I'm not convinced by the photos.
here were I live you would not have been able to pull a permit to cut it without some damn good reasoning and mediation afterward.