HA error message while running - File configuration.yaml not found

Check home-assistant.log.1 to see if there were any errors before the crash.
Although I doubt that it will be helpful, because the symptoms you are describing seem to point to a failing hard drive (possibly the USB connection).
Hook up a monitor to the RPi and wait for it to happen again. Then see if the CLI works and if you are able to type login to get to a root shell. See what dmesg says.