PA28 PLT HAD NMAC WHILE ATTEMPTING AN APCH TO A FIELD IN IMC.

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ON SEP/XA/99; I FLEW FROM SBA TO CASTLE AFB STOPPING AT PRB TO PICK UP A PAX/PLT. UPON ARRIVING OVERHEAD PRB ABOUT XA00; I WAS TOLD BY MY FRIEND ON THE GND; ON 122.75; THAT THE FIELD WAS UNDER AN OVCST AND MIGHT NOT CLR FOR 1/2 HR OR MORE. FLYING OVER PRB (THE VOR IS ON THE FIELD); I DETERMINED WITH VOR AND LORAN THAT THE 'RAGGED EDGE' OF THE COVER WAS ABOUT 1.3 MI FROM THE CTR OF THE FIELD; CLRING TO THE N AND E. I HELD ABOUT 8 MI NE OF PRB FOR ABOUT 20 MINS; GETTING UPDATES FROM MY FRIEND ON 122.75; AS THE FIELD IS UNCTLED. ABOUT XA25 HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS BLUE OVERHEAD AND THAT A C206 HAD LANDED ON RWY 19; VISUAL APCH ALL THE WAY IN. HE ADVISED CAUTION; BUT SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS CLRING. ABOUT XA30; I BEGAN AN APCH ON BASE ON A HDG OF ABOUT 250 DEGS 75 KTS. I SAW RWY 19 ABOUT 2 1/2 MI OUT; IN THE SUN UNDER A RAGGED; THINNING LAYER. THE CLOUD/HAZE WAS 'ON EDGE' TO ME SO I COULDN'T ESTIMATE HOW DENSE OR HOW FAR AWAY IT WAS. IT WAS STILL OVER THE FIELD BUT WITH THE APCH END CLR. I BEGAN A GENTLE 25 DEG L BANK TOWARD THE THRESHOLD END OF RWY 19 AND ABOUT 1/2 MI OUT; MY PLT/PAX ON BOARD SAID 'WE'VE GOT SOMEONE OUT HERE.' I SAW AN RV4 PASSING FROM R TO L ON A HDG OF 19 DEGS (I WAS ABOUT 220 DEGS) DSNDING; ESTIMATED 90 KTS; ABOUT 200-250 FT AWAY; PASSING FROM HIGHER TO LOWER. I INCREASED MY L BANK TO ABOUT 35-40 DEGS TO PARALLEL THE RV4'S COURSE; SAW HIM LAND AND TAXI TO THE FARTHEST TURNOFF TO THE R. I CLBED TO ABOUT 500 FT AGL AND MADE A XWIND; DOWNWIND; BASE TO FINAL. WHEN TURNING ON THE TXWY TO PICK UP MY FRIEND; I SAW THAT THE BEACON WAS ON AND THE FIELD WAS IMC. I WAS MONITORING 122.75 AND 123.0 (UNICOM) FOR TFC RPTS BUT DID NOT HEAR ANY. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD MADE POS RPTS BUT MAY HAVE DONE SO ON 122.75 RATHER THAN 123.0. ALTHOUGH; SINCE OUR COURSES WERE ALMOST PARALLEL AND THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD WHICH GAVE ME A TIMELY SIGHTING; 5 OR 10 SECONDS EITHER WAY COULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS. THE RV4 WAS PROBABLY ON AN INST APCH; ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T HEAR ANY POS RPTS. SINCE I WAS OUT TO HIS L; TOWARD THE SUN; HE MAY NOT HAVE SEEN ME. I REALIZED THAT I HAD EXERCISED VERY POOR JUDGEMENT AND POOR RADIO PROCS. I ASSUMED THAT THE FIELD HAD GONE VMC BUT IT HAD NOT. IF I HAD WAITED 10-15 MINS LONGER; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE; STANDARD; AND LEGAL. NEEDLESS TO SAY; IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I AM DUE FOR MY BFR AND PLAN TO GO OVER SOME REMAINING QUESTIONS WITH MY INSTRUCTOR.