I am going to stick my neck out here, that crane is not new, it has been there for ages. Pete has been going in and out of Battersea countless times. I for one would not be surprised if the accident had nothing to do with the crane and the craft was in trouble long before the crane came in the picture, either due to a mechanical or catastrophic failure.
The crane may well be a contributing factor, but I don't see it being the cause of this mishap.
Time will tell.