An in-flight break-up is thought to have caused the fatal crash of a Cessna 210 100 km north-west of Roma, Queensland, last year.
VH-WBZ was on a VFR flight from Roma to Dysart on December 7, 2011 when it crashed. Thunderstorms and severe turbulence were forecast for the area at the time.
Sections of the wing and tail plane were found 350 metres away from the main crash site.
"About 30 minutes into the flight the outer sections of the wings and parts of the tail separated," the ATSB report states. "The aircraft collided with terrain, fatally injuring the pilot."
The ATSB established that the aircraft was structurally sound before the wing and tail sections separated, and no aircraft system defects were identified.
"Ground-based weather radar showed thunderstorms in the vicinity of the accident site, and recorded engine data showed cruise power setting was maintained until recording ceased," the report notes.
"Although the precise circumstances leading up to the accident were not known, a combination of aircraft airspeed with the effects of turbulence and/or control inputs generated stresses that exceeded the design limits of the aircraft structure."
The maximum manoeuvring speed for the aircraft at the estimated gross weight was only 109 kts. The ATSB estimated the power setting recorded would have given an IAS of 147 kts.
Check the ATSB website for the full report.