Roger Hayes, 75, from Holsworthy, Devon and son Andy, 39, from Birmingham, died when their twin-seat plane crashed at Pierre-Buffiere on 29 June, 2012.
The plane crashed 20 minutes after taking off from nearby Limoges as they flew to the south of France.
The coroner, Elizabeth Earland, recorded a verdict of accidental death.
Andrew Cope, a senior Air Accident Investigation Board inspector, said an iPad navigation app may have prompted the pilot to make a sharp turn.
Mr Cope told the inquest: "I think the pilot, Andrew, probably realised he was in restricted air space and turned around.
"That's the point where things start to go awry and the flight path is quite dramatic from then on.
"The pilot has now realised he is descending and is manoeuvring the aircraft to get back up.
"The problem is that if that is done very quickly it puts a lot of pressure on the wings."
Mr Cope agreed with the findings of French investigators who said the wings probably broke off when they came under too much pressure as Mr Hayes attempted to right the aircraft.
Didier Pauliet, who works at a nearby school, said: "The aircraft started losing bits. A wing fell off violently.
"Other bits, some bigger, started falling off.
"The rest of the plane fell in one piece almost immediately. We could see a lot of smoke."
The inquest heard the single-engine Jabiru 450 had been heading to the southern French town of Rodez when it crashed into woodland.
Officials said the plane stopped off in Cherbourg on the French Channel coast, then at Le Mans, north west France, before refuelling in Limoges about 100 miles from Rodez.

Jamie Bishop, who was 44, was a left-handed batsman who also represented Wales at minor county level.
Glamorgan cricket club chief executive Hugh Morris described him as "a hugely talented cricketer" who had an outstanding record for Pontarddulais cricket club.
South Wales Police is not treating the death as suspicious.
Tributes were also paid on social media, from sporting figures including Steve James, Edward Bevan, Sean Holley, John Devereux and Rick O'Shea.

It is the first private clinic to offer early medical abortions to women in Northern Ireland under strict legal controls.
A former leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, Ms Purvis has been director of the clinic since it was launched in 2012.
Ms Purvis, who will step down on 24 April, said it was "time to move on".
She will take on a new role on the clinic's Northern Ireland advisory board.
Last November, anti-abortion protester Bernadette Smyth, who leads the Precious Life group, was convicted of harassing Ms Purvis at the Marie Stopes office in Belfast city centre.
Ms Purvis told the BBC that had had no influence on her decision to step down.
"I think the clinic's well established here now, we're providing services more and more every year and I'm delighted to be remaining on the advisory board for the clinic.
"But I feel it's time to move on and I think it's time for Marie Stopes to get someone else in to manage the clinic and take it to new places," she said.
"At times it was difficult, particularly last year with the court case and the harassment, but I put that behind me and have concentrated on delivering services for women in Ireland both north and south.
"I think I've achieved a significant historical change in the perception of abortion in Northern Ireland from where the usual narrative was that abortion was illegal in Northern Ireland to now one where people understand that abortion is legal under certain circumstances.
"I think we've challenged the myths and stereotypes that are presented by those who are opposed to a woman's right to chose."
Genevieve Edwards, director of policy for Marie Stopes UK, said: "We were so lucky to have Dawn and wish her every success in whatever she chooses to do.
"The support for the clinic since it opened in very challenging circumstances has been heartening and a source of great comfort and pride for our staff and volunteers.
"We are now actively recruiting for Dawn's successor to lead us into the next phase of the clinic's journey."
An aircraft which crashed in France killing a father and son fell from the sky "like a stone" when its wings failed, an inquest has heard.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
Tributes have been paid to a former Glamorgan cricketer who was found dead at his Swansea flat on Friday.
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Dawn Purvis is to step down as programme director of Northern Ireland's Marie Stopes clinic.