AN ATX PLT LOSES SIGHT OF THE ARPT AFTER RECEIVING AN ADDITIONAL VECTOR FOR SPACING AND AN EXPECTED VISUAL APCH TO RWY 5 AT FWA. PLT EXPERIENCES A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT #1 ON APCH.

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AFTER STATING I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT; I WAS GIVEN A 20 DEG R OF COURSE VECTOR; TO EXPECT RWY 5. I PUT THE ILS 5 FREQ IN THE #1 NAV; EXPECTING TO FLY ALONG THE LOC WHEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. WHEN I LOOKED AGAIN FOR THE ARPT; I HAD LOST SIGHT OF IT; BUT WAITED FOR THE LOC TO CTR AS I WAS ON A L BASE FOR RWY 5. THE NEEDLE BEGAN TO CTR AND I TURNED INBOUND; STILL WITHOUT THE ARPT IN SIGHT. THEN THE NAV #1 FLAG SIGNALED LOSS OF LOC; AND I FELT LIKE I HAD ENTERED THE TWILIGHT ZONE BECAUSE THE ARPT WASN'T WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I TOLD ATC I WANTED TO 'MISS;' GO BACK AND TRY AGAIN; AND APPARENTLY ON THE TURN BACK OUT; I MANEUVERED IN FRONT OF A BATP DOING PRACTICE APCHS TO FWA. UPON RE-ENTRY; THE ARPT REAPPEARED AND I LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I HAD NEVER BEFORE UNDERSTOOD HOW SOMEONE COULD LOSE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON A VFR NIGHT; BUT SINCE IT HAPPENED TO ME; I CAN UNDERSTAND BETTER THE VIGILANCE NEEDED TO AVOID THIS SIT. FATIGUE MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR AS IT WAS NEARLY XA00; BUT I DID NOT FEEL TIRED BEFORE THE APCH. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT I MUST CONFESS THE MIN I LOSE VISUAL SIGHT OF THE ARPT AND NOT RELY ON NAV EQUIP! AS MY BOSS ONCE SAID; 'FLYING IS THE MOST HUMBLING THING I DO.'