A PA28 FLYING IN MARGINAL VFR TO IFR CONDITIONS HEARS A C208 PLT RPTING IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA APCHING TO LAND; DOES NOT SEE THE ACFT; AND MAKES A RAPID DSCNT TO AVOID A CONFLICT.

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WE WERE NBOUND; AND HAD JUST PASSED WEST GEORGIA REGIONAL GRAY (CTJ); WHICH IS DIRECTLY W OF ATLANTA. IN ABOUT 15 MINS TIME; THE WX WENT FROM MARGINAL VFR TO IFR. WE WERE TALKING WITH ATLANTA APCH; WHO HAD BEEN TALKING WITH US SINCE 20 OR 30 MI BEFORE WE GOT TO COLUMBUS; GA. WHOEVER WE WERE TALKING WITH AROUND COLUMBUS; SEEMED TO BE KEEPING UP WITH THE LOAD; BUT WHOEVER IT WAS; FORGOT ABOUT US; UNTIL WE WERE TOO FAR AWAY FOR THEM TO HEAR US ON THE RADIO. WE HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE RELAY OUR VHF RADIO XMISSIONS; TO THE CTLR; SO THAT THEY COULD PASS US OFF TO ANOTHER PERSON IN ATLANTA. WE WERE HANDED OFF; AND TOLD TO CONTACT ATLANTA ON 121.0. WE DID SO; AND WERE TOLD 'STAY CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE; AND WE WILL GET BACK WITH YOU.' WE CONTINUED ON OUR NBOUND COURSE. AFTER PASSING WEST GEORGIA REGIONAL GRAY (CTJ; DIRECTLY W OF ATLANTA); WE HEARD LOTS OF CONFUSION ON THE RADIO. IT SOUNDED AS IF A SUPVR HAD STEPPED IN; AND WAS BEGINNING TO ASSIGN ACFT TO OTHER FREQS. ONE PLT SAID 'I HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED 3 DIFFERENT FREQS IN THE PAST 2 MINS; PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO HERE.' ABOUT THAT TIME; I STATED THAT I WAS RUNNING INTO SIGNIFICANT WX DETERIORATION; AND THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO SQUAWK 1200; AND LAND AT CORNELIUS MOORE (4A4). AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO GET SOME SORT OF RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR; I SWITCHED OVER TO 122.8 TO ANNOUNCE MY POS; AND INTENTIONS. I STATED THAT I WAS JUST S OF THE FIELD AT 2000 FT; AND WOULD BE ENTERING THE PATTERN FOR LNDG. I THEN HEARD A RATHER STRESSED PLT OF A CESSNA CARAVAN STATE THAT HE WAS 'ALSO IN THE PATTERN AT CEDARTOWN.' I COULD SEE NOBODY; AND HE SAID HE WAS ALSO S OF THE FIELD; AND ALSO AT ABOUT 2000 FT. AT THIS POINT; I AM ON ADRENALINE OVERLOAD; AND STATE 'I'M GOING DOWN;' TO WHICH THE OTHER PLT SAID; 'ARE YOU DECLARING AN EMER?' I SAID; 'NO; I AM JUST LOSING ALT;' AND I PUT MY PLANE INTO A VERY STEEP DIVE. WITNESSES ON THE GND STATED THAT THEY COULD HEAR US; AND COULD SEE 'ONE OF US ON THE UPWIND SIDE; AND THE OTHER ON THE DOWNWIND SIDE.' WE BOTH FELT IT WAS A VERY NEAR MISS. THINGS THAT CAN BE LEARNED (TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE): CTLRS THAT WERE WORKING THAT AREA WERE EITHER WAY OVERLOADED; OR WERE JUST CONFUSED. THE FACT THAT I WAS FORGOTTEN TWICE; AND THAT OTHERS ON THE FREQ WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE CONFUSION MAKES IT EVIDENT THAT SOME QUALITY CTL WORK NEEDS TO HAPPEN THERE. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN QUICKER TO SWITCH OVER TO UNICOM; AND NOT HAVE CONTINUED TO WAIT ON CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. I SHOULD ALSO HAVE REMAINED CLR OF THE CORNELIUS MOORE AREA; UNTIL I HAD MADE A TFC CALL; AND THEN LISTENED FOR RESPONSES. THE PLT OF THE CARAVAN NEEDS TO REFER TO THE CORNELIUS MOORE ARPT; AS 'CORNELIUS MOORE;' NOT 'CEDARTOWN.' IT WAS NOT UNTIL SEVERAL HRS LATER IN THE DAY; THAT I GOT A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE CHART CLOSELY; AND NOTICED THAT THE NAME OF THE TOWN; JUST W OF THE ARPT IS CEDARTOWN.