AN ACR MLG FLC HAS TFC POINTED OUT TO THEM WHILE THEY ARE IN A TURN. THE DEP CTLR REFED THE TFC AS BEING AT 9 O'CLOCK POS WHEN IT WAS CLOSER TO 3 O'CLOCK POS AFTER THE TURN. THE FLC MISIDENTED THE TFC AND; APPARENTLY; NEVER SAW THE TFC OF INTEREST TO THE CTLR AND THEY PASSED IN FRONT OF IT INSTEAD OF BEHIND.

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ON THE PUSCH DEP FROM PHX; WE JUST STARTED THE TURN FROM A 240 DEG HDG TO THE 140 DEG HDG AT 9 DME TO INTERCEPT THE 320 DEG RADIAL INBOUND TO TFD ON THE DEP; WHEN DEP CTL INFORMED US WE HAD TFC AT 9 O'CLOCK POS 5-7 MI. WELL WE WERE IN THE TURN WITH OUR NOSE ALMOST ON A 180 DEG HDG. AS I LOOKED TO OUR L TO FIND THE ISSUED TFC; I IN FACT DID SEE AN AIRPLANE APPROX 5-7 MI ON A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26. THE TFC THE CTLR WANTED US TO REF WAS IN FACT AT OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS WITH REF TO OUR TURN. WHEN WE CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE THE CLB AND PASS BEHIND THE TFC. NO PROB; HOWEVER; THE TFC THE CTLR WANTED US TO PASS BEHIND WAS NOT THE SAME TFC. NEEDLESS TO SAY; WE PASSED IN FRONT OF THE TFC. WE PASSED APPROX 5 MI IN FRONT OF THE TFC. I BELIEVE THIS MISUNDERSTANDING COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE COULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN A VECTOR; DEP CTLR WOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL HIS RADAR GAVE AN ACCURATE INDICATION OF OUR HEADING WITH REGARD TO OUR TURN; AND WE; AS A CREW SHOULD HAVE NEVER CALLED TFC IN SIGHT.