Narrative:

Aircraft a holding at penns for ewr at 11000' drifted out of holding pattern after reporting established in the hold. Aircraft B who was holding at lizzi for lga was given direct sbj and cleared through to lga when aircraft was in bottom of holding pattern and turned over to the ny TRACON. Aircraft B turned wider than anticipated and sep was lost. The reason this report is so long after the fact is because it took a long time to determine whether this incident was going to be classified as a pilot deviation (aircraft drifting out of holding pattern) or a system error. A system error was determined because aircraft a was just re-entering the holding pattern when sep was lost. Radar controller failed to terminate radar of aircraft in holding pattern. Holding patterns are quite close and there were strong winds from the northwest, when this happens aircraft will drift out of the holding pattern. Both aircraft were turbo jet air carrier's. On 2 separate occasions after the incident I noticed 4 aircraft flown by the company of aircraft a drift out of the penns holding pattern while other aircraft in the holding remained within the pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF SEPARATION BETWEEN 2 ACR JET ACFT IN ADJACENT HOLDING PATTERNS. OPERATIONAL ERROR.

Narrative: ACFT A HOLDING AT PENNS FOR EWR AT 11000' DRIFTED OUT OF HOLDING PATTERN AFTER RPTING ESTABLISHED IN THE HOLD. ACFT B WHO WAS HOLDING AT LIZZI FOR LGA WAS GIVEN DIRECT SBJ AND CLRED THROUGH TO LGA WHEN ACFT WAS IN BOTTOM OF HOLDING PATTERN AND TURNED OVER TO THE NY TRACON. ACFT B TURNED WIDER THAN ANTICIPATED AND SEP WAS LOST. THE REASON THIS RPT IS SO LONG AFTER THE FACT IS BECAUSE IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO DETERMINE WHETHER THIS INCIDENT WAS GOING TO BE CLASSIFIED AS A PLTDEV (ACFT DRIFTING OUT OF HOLDING PATTERN) OR A SYS ERROR. A SYS ERROR WAS DETERMINED BECAUSE ACFT A WAS JUST RE-ENTERING THE HOLDING PATTERN WHEN SEP WAS LOST. RADAR CTLR FAILED TO TERMINATE RADAR OF ACFT IN HOLDING PATTERN. HOLDING PATTERNS ARE QUITE CLOSE AND THERE WERE STRONG WINDS FROM THE NW, WHEN THIS HAPPENS ACFT WILL DRIFT OUT OF THE HOLDING PATTERN. BOTH ACFT WERE TURBO JET ACR'S. ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS AFTER THE INCIDENT I NOTICED 4 ACFT FLOWN BY THE COMPANY OF ACFT A DRIFT OUT OF THE PENNS HOLDING PATTERN WHILE OTHER ACFT IN THE HOLDING REMAINED WITHIN THE PATTERN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.