AN ACR MLG HAD LTSS WITH A GOV SMT ON A TRAINING MISSION.

Narrative

WE HAD DEPARTED RWY 19 AT MSY AND REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A 130 DEG HDG TO AVOID BUILDUPS. WHEN CLR OF THE BUILDUPS; DEP CTL GAVE US VECTORS TO AVOID TFC AND FINALLY A L CLBING TURN TO 50 DEG HDG FOR THE ON COURSE TRACK. WHILE IN THE TURN; MY FO CALLED TO MY ATTN AN ACFT IN FRONT AND BELOW; HDG S (L TO R). WHEN I ASKED THE CTLR ABOUT THE TFC; HE SAID THAT HE HAD NO TARGET IN OUR AIRSPACE. THE FOLLOWING DAY I CALLED MSY TWR AND TALKED TO MR. X WHO WAS THE CTLR WHO WORKED OUR FLT. HE SAID THAT AFTER I HAD INQUIRED ABOUT THE TFC; A BEACON CODE ABCD APPEARED 1 MI S OF OUR POS. HE SAID THAT EITHER HIS EQUIP FAILED TO PICK UP THE RETURN OR THE XPONDER WAS OFF AND THEN TURNED ON. HE AGREED TO RESEARCH THE INCIDENT FURTHER. HE CALLED ME BACK WITHIN 1 HR WITH THE FOLLOWING INFO: HE TALKED TO MR. Y; AN FAA LIAISON OFFICER WITH THE UNITED STATES AGENCY. BEACON CODES IN THE A0000 SERIES ARE OWNED BY THE UNITED STATES AGENCY. THE ACFT WAS AN SMT. BOTH PLTS ASSERT THAT THEIR XPONDER WAS TURNED ON ON TKOF. THEY NEVER SAW OUR ACFT. THEY WERE ON A TRAINING/INTERCEPT MISSION. IN MY VIEW; THE BOTTOM LINE IS; NOTWITHSTANDING POSSIBLE ERRORS COMMITTED BY THE CTLR AND/OR THE AGENCY PLTS; THAT THE AGENCY PLTS USED POOR JUDGEMENT BY NOT BEING IN CONTACT WITH ZHU OR MSY APCH/DEP CTL.