AA5B PLT DOWNWIND AT UNCTLED TWR CLOSED ARPT SUGGEST TO PLT ON STRAIGHT IN APCH TO ENTER TFC PATTERN IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SEPARATION. PLT DOES 360 DEGS OVER POPULATED AREA INSTEAD.

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APCHING PAO FROM THE SE; IT WAS NOTED THAT RWY 31 WAS IN USE AT THE PAO; CLASS D AIRSPACE. AT XA00 LCL THE TWR CLOSED. ATIS STATED TO USE A PATTERN FOR ENTRY WHEN TWR CLOSED. I PROCEEDED NE OF PAO TO AVOID CLASS C AIRSPACE AT SJC; AND ENTERED ON A 45 DEGS TO R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 31. I PREVIOUSLY HEARD ANOTHER ACFT ON CTAF USING R TFC TO RWY 31. THE SAN FRANCISCO VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART ALSO INDICATED R TFC FOR RWY 31. WHILE ENTERING THE PATTERN; I CALLED OUT MY POS ON THE 45 DEG ENTRY DOWNWIND LEG; BASE LEG AND FINAL ON CTAF. WHILE I WAS IN THE PATTERN; 2 ACFT CALLED INTENTIONS TO DO STRAIGHT IN APCHS. ONE SAID HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE CLOSE BTWN HIS ACFT AND MINE. I SUGGESTED HE ENTER THE TFC PATTERN. HE ELECTED TO DO A L 360 DEG TURN ON FINAL APCH. SOMEONE ON THE GND TOLD HIM HE SHOULD HAVE DONE THE 360 DEG TURN TO THE R FOR NOISE ABATEMENT. ALL ACFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PROB WAS INCREASED DANGER OF COLLISION BTWN ACFT APCHING TO LAND AT AN ARPT WHERE THE TWR WAS CLOSED. IT WAS CAUSED BY 2 PLTS/ACFT DOING NON STANDARD VFR APCHS FOR LNDG (STRAIGHT-INS). THE SOLUTION IS FOR ALL PLTS TO DO STANDARD PATTERN ENTRIES TO INSURE TFC VISUALIZATION SEPARATION. PS: THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY AT UNCTLED ARPTS.