I was in the Silver Stand but didn't catch the incident on photo/video. The Yaks were the opening display on the Saturday so I had no prior movements to compare it with, but it looked to me like the Yak was landed on the grass strip
between the sealed runway and the piece of grass that all the other heavy metal tail-draggers landed on for the rest of the show (i.e. not on the actual designated grass runway).
If you see any other video from the day showing where all the other aircraft were landing on the grass, they are much further to the right of the cherry pickers. The fact that the Yak's starboard wing hit the machinery suggests that the aircraft was landed somewhat to the left of them.
Anyway....
Exhibit One.
In the background of this photo you can see the low white markers forming a "runway closed" white cross on the grass beside the sealed runway. If you look at the beginning of the incident video you'll see the Yak 3 come in over, or even to the LEFT of, these markers.
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Exhibit Two:
In the background of this image you can see a Beech Staggerwing using the actual grass vector. You can see the grass is a lot greener (and much further away) than the bit the Yak landed on. Again in the incident video you can see the "green" runway well over to the Yak's right.
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Exhibit Three:
If you zoom in on this point in Google Maps you'll see the white cross meaning "Don't land here!" and the green, green grass of the actual runway that I'm taking about.
Google Maps view of Wanaka Runway
Having said all that, any obstacle anywhere NEAR a runway, no matter how well briefed and warned a pilot is, can be forgotten about in the heat of a display and is probably best removed until actually needed, even if that causes delays in the airshow programme.
A very unfortunate incident that damaged a very sweet flying machine. Very sad.