AN M20P PLT APCHING PAO HAD ANN NMAC WITH A C172.

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AT APPROX XA30; MY ACFT WAS DSNDING DOWN FROM 3000 FT FROM SUNOL INTXN TOWARDS THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE. BAY APCH HAD JUST DROPPED US FROM RADAR FLT FOLLOWING. THE SETTING SUN AND SMOG IMPAIRED VISIBILITY SOMEWHAT. THE FIRST CALL TO PAO WAS AT 9.9 MI E OF PAO. SPD WAS REDUCED TO 100 MPH OR LESS WHILE PASSING THROUGH ABOUT 2000 FT. A SQUAWK CODE WAS ISSUED. WE ADVISED PAO AGAIN XING HWY 880 INBOUND. THERE WAS MUCH TFC TO BE HEARD ON THE FREQ. WE HEARD CTLR TELL A PLANE ON THE W SIDE OF PAO TO ORBIT STANFORD FOR 2 TURNS AND THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT IN THE PATTERN. WE CONTINUED DSNDING ON A COURSE TO THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE. WE HEARD THE CTLR TALKING WITH A CESSNA AND THE CESSNA WAS ADVISED TO PROCEED TO KGO. JUST S OF KGO (3 MI ESTIMATE); A CESSNA CROSSED OUR NOSE FROM L TO R 300 FT OUT AND 100 FT BELOW AT AN ALT OF APPROX 900 FT. WE RPTED THAT A CESSNA HAD JUST CROSSED OUR PATH AND CONTINUED INBOUND; THEN ONTO THE R 45 DEG FOR RWY 31 AT 85 MPH. WHEN DOWNWIND PAST THE THRESHOLD; THE CTLR ADVISED US TO CONTINUE INBOUND. WE RESPONDED 'NEGATIVE INBOUND; WE ARE DOWNWIND' AS IT WAS CLR THAT THE CTLR HAD AGAIN LOST US. AFTER LNDG; THE PLT OF THE OTHER PLANE SPOKE TO US HE APOLOGIZED AND SAID HE WAS SURPRISED TO BE TURNED BACK N TO KGO FROM HIS POS IN THE PATTERN. HE SAID HE SPED UP TO 120 MPH TO GET TO KGO QUICKLY. I CALLED THE TWR BY PHONE. THE CTLR SAID THAT THE CESSNA TRIED TO ENTER THE PATTERN VIA EXTENDED BASE; THAT A CITABRIA HAD CUT OFF A TWIN; THAT THIS HAD OCCUPIED HIS ATTN; AND THAT HE WAS IN TOTAL OVERLOAD. WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE RADAR HE SAW THE CESSNA MY PLANE AT THE SAME POINT BUT IT WAS TOO LATE TO CALL. ASKED WHY HE CALLED CONTINUE INBOUND WHEN WE WERE DOWNWIND; HE STATED THAT HE HAD LOST MY ACFT'S POS DUE TO THE WORKLOAD. HE EMPHASIZED THAT WE DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG AND THAT THE CESSNA HAD TRIED TO ENTER CORRECTLY; AND HE SENT HIM N NOT THINKING THAT HE WOULD CROSS MY PATH.. THE WORKLOAD FROM ACFT ARRIVING FROM BOTH THE E AND W SIDES OF THE RWY IS TOO HIGH. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS NEAR ACCIDENT WAS THE FACT THAT BAY APCH DROPPED SVC. THIS IS THE SECOND NMAC IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS (RPTED BY ME). SOMETHING MUST BE DONE TO HAVE BETTER CTLR ATTN TO THE ARRIVING ACFT.