Complex sentence: It had initially topped several large redwood trees, shearing off one of its landing gear and leaving it hung in an oak, continued across a narrow ravine and crashed against the side of a steeply rising slope approximately half a mile beyond the first tree strike.
Split into simpler sentences: It had initially struck the top of several large redwood trees, shearing off one of its landing gear and leaving it hung in an oak. It then continued across a narrow ravine and crashed against the side of a steeply rising slope approximately half a mile beyond the first tree strike.