Has anyone ever heard of a post or other timber checking so dramatically that it became a structural hazard, or of one actually busting in half, or houses falling down....or is this mostly an aesthetic issue?

I know that I have culled many a timber that probably would have brought down a frame had it been used, but those are obvious and I couldn't imagine how anyone would have let one like those get by.

I have also seen many old frames with very large checks. I tend to believe that most timbers withhold their structural integrity once checked and dry in the frame.

Thoughts?