CHI07LA034

The airplane veered off the runway and impacted a snow bank during a touch and go landing. The airplane touched down 10 feet left of the runway centerline and veered off the runway during takeoff. The pilot, after not having flown since 1993, received a flight review on November 24, 2006, by a company certified flight instructor, The flight review was completed during one flight of 2.2 hours in duration and at least 1 hour of ground instruction. Federal Aviation Administration published guidance states a "rule of thumb" is to plan one hour of ground training and one hour of flight training for every year the pilot has been out of the cockpit.

On December 8, 2006, at 1415 central standard time, a Cessna 172R, N913MA, operated by Northern Illinois Flight Center, Inc. (NIFC) as a rental/instructional airplane, impacted a snow bank during a touch and go landing on runway 26 (3,058 feet by 50 feet, asphalt) at Lake in the Hills Airport (3CK), Lake In The Hills, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The private pilot was not injured. The local flight originated from 3CK about 1330.

The pilot reported he was practicing touch and go's on runway 26 when the airplane touched down approximately 10 feet left of the runway 26 centerline with flaps fully extended and from wind 240 degrees at 11 knots. During the subsequent takeoff roll, the left main gear contacted a snow bank on the south side of the runway. The airplane pivoted to the left and the nose landing gear contacted the snow bank. The airplane came to a rest inverted along the south side of the runway.

The pilot received a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating in 1971 and accumulated a total time of 223.3 hours as of November 24, 2006, which was the date that he completed his last flight review. Logbook entries show his last two flights prior to the flight review were on January 2, 1988, and January 30, 1993.

A NIFC certified flight instructor provided the pilot with 2.2 hours of flight instruction and "at least" one hour of ground instruction relating to the pilot's flight review. All of the flight and ground instruction was provided on November 24, 2006.

A FAA guide, titled, "Conducting an Effective Flight Review," states that when assessing pilots who have not flown at all for several years, a useful "rule of thumb" is to plan one hour of ground training and one hour of flight training for every year the pilot has been out of the cockpit. The FAA guide is available at: http://www.faa.gov/pilots/training/media/flight_review.pdf