PLT'S #2 COM RADIO HAS PROB DURING AN IFR APCH RESULTING IN NMAC WITH ANOTHER ACFT PRECEDING AND A GAR.

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THE APCH TO RENTON WAS VIA VECTORS FOR THE NDB 15 APCH. I TURNED INBOUND AND WAS INFORMED BY SEATTLE APCH THAT I WAS OVER HAKIM AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT RENTON TWR. I SWITCHED TWR FREQ AND INFORMED TWR I WAS HAKIM INBOUND. ABOUT 1 SECOND LATER I 'HEARD' TWR RESPOND CLRED TO LAND (I LATER LEARNED THAT TWR DID NOT HEAR MY COM; AND WHAT THEY DID WAS CLR ANOTHER ACFT TO LAND IN FRONT OF ME). I CONTINUED THE APCH; BELIEVING I WAS CLRED TO LAND. (HAD I NOT HEARD THE 'CLRED TO LAND;' I WOULD NOT HAVE DSNDED TOWARD A LNDG BUT MAINTAINED ALT; CIRCLING THE ARPT UNTIL I WAS CLRED TO LAND OR EXECUTING A MISSED APCH. I WAS UNDER THE FIRM BELIEF THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND. I WAS THEREFORE SURPRISED TO SEE A PLANE ON OR NEAR THE END OF THE RWY. ON SEEING THE PLANE; I MADE SEVERAL CALLS TO TWR TELLING THEM OF THE PLANE AND ASKING INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT WHAT TO DO. I ASKED IF THEY WOULD LIKE ME TO GAR. I HEARD NO RESPONSE. FINALLY; I DECIDED TO STEER TO THE R AND GAR. ON THE GAR; I WAS STILL TRYING TO CONTACT TWR ON COM 2. (I SHOULD HAVE FIGURED OUT THE PROB SOONER; BUT THE RADIO HAD WORKED FINE ALL DAY LONG UNTIL THIS POINT AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A RADIO FAIL ON ME BEFORE). I CONTINUED DOWNWIND EXTENDING IT N WAITING TO HEAR FROM TWR. I THEN; AFTER THE EXTENDED DOWNWIND; DECIDED TO TURN BASE; AT THIS TIME I CHANGED RADIOS AND COMMUNICATED TWR. WHILE FLYING THE PATTERN; I REMAINED AT PATTERN ALT; 1000 FT. AFTER TURNING TO BASE I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE EDGE OF A CLOUD THAT WAS JUST N OF THE AIRFIELD; AND WAS IN IT FOR ABOUT 2-3 SECONDS. I THEN RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND; AND LANDED. I THEN TELEPHONED THE TWR TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHY I WAS CLRED TO LAND; WHILE AN ACFT WAS ON THE RWY. THE CTLR INFORMED ME: THAT HE HAD HEARD NO COMS FROM ME; THAT HE KNEW I WAS INBOUND ON THE NDB; BECAUSE APCH CTL HAD SO INFORMED HIM; BUT THAT AT THE SAME TIME; HE WAS UPDATING ATIS; AND HAD FORGOTTEN TO WATCH FOR ME.