Narrative:

We had departed runway 19 at msy and requested and received a 130 degree heading to avoid buildups. When clear of the buildups, departure control gave us vectors to avoid traffic and finally a left climbing turn to 50 degree heading for the on course track. While in the turn, my first officer called to my attention an aircraft in front and below, heading south (left to right). When I asked the controller about the traffic, he said that he had no target in our airspace. The following day I called msy tower and talked to mr. X who was the controller who worked our flight. He said that after I had inquired about the traffic, a beacon code abcd appeared 1 mi south of our position. He said that either his equipment failed to pick up the return or the transponder was off and then turned on. He agreed to research the incident further. He called me back within 1 hour with the following information: 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 aircraft was an small transport. Both pilots assert that their transponder was turned on on takeoff. They never saw our aircraft. They were on a training/intercept mission. In my view, the bottom line is, notwithstanding possible errors committed by the controller and/or the agency pilots, that the agency pilots used poor judgement by not being in contact with ZHU or msy approach/departure control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 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.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.