Narrative:

I was approaching the airport from the east in my cessna 172; a little south of the center line of the runway. The CTAF indicated there was a piper seneca and a cessna 182 in the left pattern. I turned more southerly. As I passed well south of the approach end I could see the cessna 182 landing. The seneca reported turning downwind. I was well south of the normal traffic pattern at 1000 feet watching for the seneca and planning to circle to enter the pattern on a 45 degree angle behind the seneca when he passed on the downwind. However; the seneca was on a much wider than normal downwind pattern. We saw each other about the same time approaching each other and announced our visual sighting. Although I don't think we would have collided; I turned further south to clear his wide downwind. Before the seneca passed by me it was about 500 feet above my altitude. I turned in behind the seneca who continued his wide pattern. He extended his downwind so far out I was about to ask if he was leaving the pattern when he announced turning base. I had slowed to 70 knots and announced I was extending my downwind to stay behind the seneca. By now; the cessna 182 was behind me on the downwind and announced he was going to turn base inside both the seneca and me to land first. These kind of events could be avoided if everyone flew a standard size pattern. However; evidently some are training hopefully to go to the airlines; and emulate airline patterns no matter what size airplane they are currently flying. For my part; I plan to go even further out to enter the pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A pilot entering the pattern at a non towered airport reported having to avoid other traffic flying abnormal traffic patterns.

Narrative: I was approaching the airport from the east in my Cessna 172; a little south of the center line of the runway. The CTAF indicated there was a Piper Seneca and a Cessna 182 in the left pattern. I turned more southerly. As I passed well south of the approach end I could see the Cessna 182 landing. The Seneca reported turning downwind. I was well south of the normal traffic pattern at 1000 feet watching for the Seneca and planning to circle to enter the pattern on a 45 degree angle behind the Seneca when he passed on the downwind. However; the Seneca was on a much wider than normal downwind pattern. We saw each other about the same time approaching each other and announced our visual sighting. Although I don't think we would have collided; I turned further south to clear his wide downwind. Before the Seneca passed by me it was about 500 feet above my altitude. I turned in behind the Seneca who continued his wide pattern. He extended his downwind so far out I was about to ask if he was leaving the pattern when he announced turning base. I had slowed to 70 knots and announced I was extending my downwind to stay behind the Seneca. By now; the Cessna 182 was behind me on the downwind and announced he was going to turn base inside both the Seneca and me to land first. These kind of events could be avoided if everyone flew a standard size pattern. However; evidently some are training hopefully to go to the airlines; and emulate airline patterns no matter what size airplane they are currently flying. For my part; I plan to go even further out to enter the pattern.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.