Narrative:

While on the downwind leg for right traffic runway 24, the bonanza that I was following had extended his downwind leg at least 7 mi east of the airport. The bonanza was flying at an estimated altitude of 1500 ft MSL and was flying a pattern that was at least double the normal distance from the runway as a normal downwind leg. The bonanza appeared to be climbing as though it were leaving the traffic pattern. The pattern that the bonanza was flying was pulling my aircraft over mountain terrain to the northeast of the airport. In order to avoid the terrain I had to maneuver my aircraft towards the final approach path which conflicted with the bonanza. This problem was caused by the bonanza flying the traffic pattern at 1500 ft MSL instead of the standard 1000 ft MSL listed as the approved traffic pattern altitude for single engine aircraft. As the bonanza was at a higher altitude he could clear the terrain to the northeast with sufficient clearance. But being at 1000 ft MSL I had to maneuver the aircraft to the south, thus infringing on the final approach path of the runway in use, runway 24. This caused me to get within 700 ft vertically and 1000 ft horizontally of the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE TFC THE RPTR WAS FOLLOWING WENT 7 MI DOWNWIND AT 1500 FT BEFORE TURNING BASE. THE RPTR BEING AT THE STANDARD PATTERN ALT OF 1000 FT HAD TO TURN TOWARDS THE OTHER ACFT ON FINAL TO AVOID THE HILLS.

Narrative: WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR R TFC RWY 24, THE BONANZA THAT I WAS FOLLOWING HAD EXTENDED HIS DOWNWIND LEG AT LEAST 7 MI E OF THE ARPT. THE BONANZA WAS FLYING AT AN ESTIMATED ALT OF 1500 FT MSL AND WAS FLYING A PATTERN THAT WAS AT LEAST DOUBLE THE NORMAL DISTANCE FROM THE RWY AS A NORMAL DOWNWIND LEG. THE BONANZA APPEARED TO BE CLBING AS THOUGH IT WERE LEAVING THE TFC PATTERN. THE PATTERN THAT THE BONANZA WAS FLYING WAS PULLING MY ACFT OVER MOUNTAIN TERRAIN TO THE NE OF THE ARPT. IN ORDER TO AVOID THE TERRAIN I HAD TO MANEUVER MY ACFT TOWARDS THE FINAL APCH PATH WHICH CONFLICTED WITH THE BONANZA. THIS PROB WAS CAUSED BY THE BONANZA FLYING THE TFC PATTERN AT 1500 FT MSL INSTEAD OF THE STANDARD 1000 FT MSL LISTED AS THE APPROVED TFC PATTERN ALT FOR SINGLE ENG ACFT. AS THE BONANZA WAS AT A HIGHER ALT HE COULD CLR THE TERRAIN TO THE NE WITH SUFFICIENT CLRNC. BUT BEING AT 1000 FT MSL I HAD TO MANEUVER THE ACFT TO THE S, THUS INFRINGING ON THE FINAL APCH PATH OF THE RWY IN USE, RWY 24. THIS CAUSED ME TO GET WITHIN 700 FT VERTLY AND 1000 FT HORIZLY OF THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.