Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 34; Flight Crew Total 284; Flight Crew Type 66
Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter
Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
CFI training flight with an IFR flight plan. IFR plan was closed on descent for a visual approach with airport in-sight under a clear sky surrounded by a mix of scattered to broken clouds within a few miles of the field at approximately 2000ft MSL. Radio call was made over the UNICOM/CTAF identifying our location to the east and overflying the field. Descended into the traffic pattern. Due to the low dissipating cloud layer nearby; we flew a tight pattern to the field. Downwind; base; and final calls were made over the radio. No traffic in the vicinity was reported by Memphis Center when flight plan was closed and switched to VFR; and no other radio traffic was heard while entering the area or pattern. Shortly after rolling out on final (less than one mile to runway and 800 ft. MSL); the instructor (in the left seat) stated crop duster to your right. I looked to my right to see a crop duster just off our right wing and at almost an identical altitude pass us. Before I had time to react; the crop duster cut in front of us and descended below us to land. We flew into his wake which unsettled our plane and I initiated a full power climb and turned off runway heading to clear the area and ensure the instructor on the left side had good visibility of the airport and the crop duster to ensure he did not climb back up in front of us. I made a 'go-around' radio call and leveled off at traffic pattern altitude and continued around the pattern and landed safely on the same runway as initially intended. I taxied clear of the runway to the parking area and turned around facing the runway to attempt to get the crop duster's tail number as he departed.After discussing what happened; the instructor and I concluded that although what the crop duster did was wrong by the FARs; due to the environment of the airport (rising terrain all around; low clouds nearby casting shadows over dark; wooded terrain; and both of our unfamiliarity with the airport) it is possible we were initially at fault by not seeing the crop duster if he was on a long straight-in approach at a much lower altitude than we would have been looking for traffic; and inadvertently cut in front of him. However; we were the only aircraft making radio calls and had he identified himself and location; we could have extended our downwind to allow him in to the field ahead of us without increasing risk to ourselves or persons/property on the ground.
On final visual approach; C-172 crew on a CFI training flight experienced a NMAC with a crop duster also on final approach. Crew executed a go-around; re-entered the traffic pattern and landed.