Narrative:

Working a radar position that feeds the final approach controller at lga; we were in a hold due to volume. I had been vectoring for holding 3 aircraft; all jets at 3 different altitudes. Although there is a published hold on the STAR; most pilots are unfamiliar with it; and because it has only 1 min legs and no room to approve longer ones; pilots prefer the vectors. The radar position next to me (combined arrival and departure for hpn) was extremely busy. The staffing level in the facility is such that we did not have another controller to open up the departure position; so even though I was holding; I was told to take on the departure position. Not getting any assistance from the supervisor; I was distraction by the task of reconfiguring the radar position and coordinating the frequencys from all of the adjoining sectors and towers. This caused me to turn an E135 too late to keep them in my airspace and allowed them to come into conflict with a cessna at 7000 ft. I noticed the conflict and issued the traffic alert and a climb for avoidance; but a loss of separation occurred. Staffing levels is a direct cause of this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: N90 CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 7000 FT BY ISSUING LATE TURN AND ALLOWING ACFT TO ENTER ADJACENT CTLR'S AIRSPACE; RESULTING IN A CONFLICT. STAFFING ISSUES ARE LISTED AS CONTRIBUTORY.

Narrative: WORKING A RADAR POS THAT FEEDS THE FINAL APCH CTLR AT LGA; WE WERE IN A HOLD DUE TO VOLUME. I HAD BEEN VECTORING FOR HOLDING 3 ACFT; ALL JETS AT 3 DIFFERENT ALTS. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A PUBLISHED HOLD ON THE STAR; MOST PLTS ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH IT; AND BECAUSE IT HAS ONLY 1 MIN LEGS AND NO ROOM TO APPROVE LONGER ONES; PLTS PREFER THE VECTORS. THE RADAR POS NEXT TO ME (COMBINED ARR AND DEP FOR HPN) WAS EXTREMELY BUSY. THE STAFFING LEVEL IN THE FACILITY IS SUCH THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ANOTHER CTLR TO OPEN UP THE DEP POS; SO EVEN THOUGH I WAS HOLDING; I WAS TOLD TO TAKE ON THE DEP POS. NOT GETTING ANY ASSISTANCE FROM THE SUPVR; I WAS DISTR BY THE TASK OF RECONFIGURING THE RADAR POS AND COORDINATING THE FREQS FROM ALL OF THE ADJOINING SECTORS AND TWRS. THIS CAUSED ME TO TURN AN E135 TOO LATE TO KEEP THEM IN MY AIRSPACE AND ALLOWED THEM TO COME INTO CONFLICT WITH A CESSNA AT 7000 FT. I NOTICED THE CONFLICT AND ISSUED THE TFC ALERT AND A CLB FOR AVOIDANCE; BUT A LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED. STAFFING LEVELS IS A DIRECT CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.