SPORT PLT AT TOP EXPERIENCES NMAC WHEN COMMENCING A GAR.

Narrative

I WAS APCHING TOP ARPT IN TOPEKA WITH THE INTENT OF LNDG MY SINGLE ENG PLANE. I CONTACTED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM I WAS ABOUT 5 MI NE OF THE ARPT. THE TWR RESPONDED TELLING ME TO RPT R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36. I MANEUVERED MY PLANE S; THEN HEADED DUE W SO THAT I WOULD ENTER THE PATTERN MIDFIELD. I WAS NOW FLYING DUE W; THE SUN WAS DIRECTLY SHINING ONTO MY CANOPY AND I BEGAN HAVING PROBS SEEING THE AIRFIELD. I ENTERED THE PATTERN MIDFIELD AND RPTED MY POS AS R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME; I HEARD THE CTL CLR ANOTHER SINGLE ENG PLANE FOR L TFC TO RWY 36 AS WELL. WHILE FLYING R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36; I COULD SEE THE RWY FAIRLY WELL AND TELL THAT I WAS FLYING PARALLEL TO IT. HOWEVER; AS I TURNED R BASE I ONCE AGAIN WAS HEADED DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN AND BEGAN HAVING PROBS SEEING OUT OF THE CANOPY AGAIN AS THE GLARE WAS VERY STRONG. AFTER A PERIOD OF FLYING R BASE FOR RWY 36; I TURNED FOR FINAL TO RWY 36 THOUGH; BECAUSE OF THE GLARE; I WAS NOT SURE WHERE I WAS IN RELATIONSHIP TO RWY 36. AS I CONTINUED ON FINAL TO RWY 36 I SAW IN FRONT OF ME WHAT LOOKED LIKE A RWY; HOWEVER IT DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY NUMBERS PAINTED ON IT AS DO THE OTHER RWYS AT TOP. AT THIS POINT THE SUN WAS NO LONGER IN MY EYES; SO I COULD CLRLY SEE THE ARPT; BUT STILL I COULD NOT MAKE OUT ANY NUMBERS ON THE RWY. IT ALSO DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE THE USUAL RWY MARKINGS (CHEVRONS; THRESHOLD). AS I GOT CLOSE TO THE RWY ENTRANCE; I DECIDED THAT I MUST HAVE FLOWN PAST THE RWY DURING MY R BASE; AND WAS NOW LINED UP TO LAND ON A TXWY OR SOMETHING ELSE. (LATER; I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS INDEED ON FINAL FOR RWY 36; BUT THE NUMBERS AND RWY MARKINGS WERE SO FADED THAT THEY CAN'T BE SEEN AT THIS TIME OF DAY.) INSTEAD OF LNDG; I MANEUVERED W OF THIS RWY ABOUT 300 FT AND FLEW PARALLEL TO IT AND CONTACTED THE TWR STATING 'I HAVE LOST SIGHT OF THE RWY.' WHILE MAKING THIS RADIO CALL; I NOTICED THE SECOND ACFT HEADING TOWARDS ME AS THEY WERE MAKING A L TFC FOR RWY 36. THE SECOND PLANE WAS FLYING PARALLEL TO ME; ABOUT 1/2 MI AHEAD OF ME; BUT ABOUT 2000 FT TO MY L AND ABOUT 200 FT HIGHER; SO WE WERE NOT ON A COLLISION COURSE AT THAT TIME. THE TWR FIRST TOLD THE OTHER PLANE TO MAKE A R 360 DEG TURN AND THEN TOLD ME TO MAKE A L 360 DEG TURN. AS A L 360 DEG TURN WOULD PLACE ME DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF THE OTHER PLANE; I OPTIONED TO WAIT FOR THE OTHER PLANE TO RESPOND TO THE RADIO CALL; AND TO BEGIN ITS R 360 DEG TURN BEFORE I RESPONDED AND BEGAN MY L 360 DEGS. AFTER 5 OR 10 SECONDS; WITH THE OTHER PLANE STILL AHEAD OF ME; I SAW HIM INITIATE A R TURN. ABOUT THIS SAME TIME; THE CTLR RADIOED ME (LOUDLY) TO MAKE A L 360 DEGS IMMEDIATELY. AS IT WAS NOW SAFE TO DO SO; I BEGAN MY L 360 DEGS. AS I FLEW BACK S I LOOKED AGAIN FOR RWY 36; BUT STILL COULD NOT IDENT IT; THEN TURNED E. I CALLED THE CTLR AND TOLD HIM THAT I STILL COULD NOT FIND RWY 36 AND ASKED HIM TO IDENT IT. HE STATED THAT I JUST FLEW PAST IT. AT THIS TIME I REALIZED THAT I HAD BEEN ON FINAL TO RWY 36 ORIGINALLY AND THAT IT WAS NOT A TXWY OR SOMETHING. AS I FLEW E FROM THE ARPT; I RADIOED THE TWR AND ASKED THE CTLR IF HE WANTED ME TO EXIT THE PATTERN AND REENTER IT AGAIN. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO DO A R 360 DEGS AND FOLLOW ANOTHER PLANE WHICH WAS GOING TO LAND ON RWY 36. I SIGHTED THE OTHER PLANE AND FOLLOWED IT IN TO RWY 36 AND LANDED. WHEN I GOT HOME I CALLED MY OLD FLT INSTRUCTOR AND TOLD HIM ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. HE TOLD ME THAT I WAS CORRECT IN NOT LNDG ON A RWY THAT I COULD NOT IDENT; BUT THAT I SHOULD HAVE FIRST CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED THEM IF I WAS LINED UP ON THE CORRECT RWY. ALSO; I SHOULD TRY TO APCH THE ARPT WITH THE SUN TO MY BACK NEXT TIME. I AGREED; BUT ALSO THOUGHT THE RWY MARKINGS SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY REPAINTED SO THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. I ALSO ASKED HIM ABOUT THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS TO EXECUTE A L 360 DEGS THAT WOULD TAKE ME INTO THE PATH OF THE OTHER PLANE; HE SAID I WAS CORRECT NOT TO DO IT UNTIL THE OTHER PLANE HAD BEGUN ITS R 360 DEGS; BUT THAT I SHOULD HAVE RADIOED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM THATI WOULD WAIT UNTIL THE OTHER PLANE TURNS FIRST. I AGREED WITH HIS ADVICE AS WELL.