I wonder if the media will cover the post mortem, and let us all know the real reason that it failed.
Well, there's
some utility in you, me and the other unwashed knowing. But I would bet the engineers in question are investigating, and that the firm(s) and regulatory people in question are pushing to find the reasons. Their firms won't want their names tarnished, their products "black listed" or their subsidized install/operation contracts curtailed, and the regulatory agency (-ies) won't want to keep subsidizing so willingly if there end up being actual flaws. Even if we the peons never hear of the specifics.
I'm assuming that, like everything engineered, they're designed to operate within a performance envelope. Either that got exceeded, at that specific tower, and/or some design flaw (if any) just got exposed in whatever it was that failed.
Imagine the feathering function no longer working, then big winds came along.
Imagine icing on those huge blades added weight beyond the design assumptions.
Imagine if an unexpectedly sharp earthquake's impact went beyond the design assumptions.
Imagine their regular testing regimen isn't up to par and flaws (cracks, breakage?) occurred over time.
Lots of variable to manage and accommodate, and lots of weight and complexity that must function properly.
I wonder what the "fly on the wall" heard in the control room, when it was clear that thing crashed. "
Oops" ... or some other useful 4-letter word.