Narrative:

Assigned to jfk finals sector vectoring aircraft for ILS runway 22L and ILS runway 22R. Surface winds were on ATIS 320@13. On the sector wind readout wind was showing 340@13. This is a quartering tailwind and unacceptable for any runway especially a short runway. A relief briefing was started. I state wind 340 at 13 and say this is not good or acceptable. I was advised that frg airport (under the jfk operation) is using runway 32 (aligned with the wind) and due to numerous VFR aircraft and the frg operation the jfk arrivals were higher than optimal. I assumed the position. Aircraft X is issued a descent from 5000 feet to 4000 feet. Descent is only to 4000 feet because aircraft Z is slow descending to 2000 feet. Aircraft Z is only leaving 3500 feet in its descent. Aircraft X is issued a left turn to a heading of 280 degrees and also issued a descent to 3000 feet. Aircraft X is finally observed descending out of 3900 feet. Conflict alert activates. Traffic is issued to aircraft X for traffic into lga at 4000 feet; aircraft Y. Aircraft X advises aircraft Y traffic in sight. I tell aircraft X to maintain visual separation. Aircraft X says 'visual aircraft X.'this was going to be an error regardless of who was on the position. That it happened roughly 1 minute after I assumed the position was just my bad luck. The aircraft were not descending optimally because of wind and that there were numerous VFR aircraft under the shelf of the class B airspace and under the jfk operation that we had to keep them a bit high to avoid the VFR traffic. This is the operation the jfk tower wants to be on regardless of the wind. It's the best operation for the tower over aircraft safety. The tower doesn't want to use runways 4L and 4R because it's harder for them to taxi aircraft. In the towers eyes let the approach control fix their ground control problems in the air. The tower says 'the users' prefer this operation or 'the customers and command center' want this operation. Why are the 'users' or 'customers' telling the tower what runway they want? When an aircraft rolls off the end of the runway (it may happen with these bad tailwind landings) are the 'users' or 'customers' going to accept responsibility or is it the controller that will hang for it. The controller will be left to hang!also an issue is the airspace design. Lga arrivals are above the jfk ILS runway 22L and 22R approaches at 4000 feet. They should be above the approaches at 5000 feet. This allows jfk to keep the arrivals at 2000 feet and 4000 feet. This keeps the aircraft at the class B altitude not under it (the class B is at 3000 feet northeast of jfk). Lga arrivals are above the jfk ILS 22L and 22R approaches at 4000 feet. They should be above the approaches at 5000 feet. This allows jfk to keep the arrivals at 2000 feet and 4000 feet. This keeps the aircraft at the class B altitude not under it (the class B is at 3000 feet north east of jfk). Also the class B airspace northeast of jfk needs to be lowered from 3000 feet to 1500 feet. Jfk lands runway 22L and 22R very often. It is amazing that helicopter and light fixed wing traffic can legally be at 2500 feet and fly above or below aircraft into jfk legally and not even be talking to ATC. The volume of traffic into jfk makes it necessary to use 2000 feet and 3000 feet to maintain separation with the arrivals but we also have to dodge VFR traffic that we are not talking to. Again it's only a matter of time before there is an accident. Also if the jfk operation could stay at 3000 feet and 4000 feet on the 22L and 22R operation it is much better noise abatement for the communities that are under the jfk 22L/right operation. The biggest problem is jfk tower making us use runways with tailwind operations. It amazes me the pilots don't complain but only when we tell them the wind; then they start to complain. But that still doesn't help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: N90 Controller vectored an aircraft for spacing on the final approach course into the path of an aircraft in the adjacent sector.

Narrative: Assigned to JFK finals sector vectoring aircraft for ILS Runway 22L and ILS Runway 22R. Surface winds were on ATIS 320@13. On the sector wind readout wind was showing 340@13. This is a quartering tailwind and unacceptable for any runway especially a short runway. A relief briefing was started. I state wind 340 at 13 and say this is not good or acceptable. I was advised that FRG airport (under the JFK operation) is using Runway 32 (aligned with the wind) and due to numerous VFR aircraft and the FRG operation the JFK arrivals were higher than optimal. I assumed the position. Aircraft X is issued a descent from 5000 feet to 4000 feet. Descent is only to 4000 feet because Aircraft Z is slow descending to 2000 feet. Aircraft Z is only leaving 3500 feet in its descent. Aircraft X is issued a left turn to a heading of 280 degrees and also issued a descent to 3000 feet. Aircraft X is finally observed descending out of 3900 feet. Conflict alert activates. Traffic is issued to Aircraft X for traffic into LGA at 4000 feet; Aircraft Y. Aircraft X advises Aircraft Y traffic in sight. I tell Aircraft X to maintain visual separation. Aircraft X says 'visual Aircraft X.'This was going to be an error regardless of who was on the position. That it happened roughly 1 minute after I assumed the position was just my bad luck. The aircraft were not descending optimally because of wind and that there were numerous VFR aircraft under the shelf of the Class B airspace and under the JFK operation that we had to keep them a bit high to avoid the VFR traffic. This is the operation the JFK Tower wants to be on regardless of the wind. It's the best operation for the tower over aircraft safety. The tower doesn't want to use runways 4L and 4R because it's harder for them to taxi aircraft. In the towers eyes let the approach control fix their ground control problems in the air. The tower says 'the users' prefer this operation or 'the customers and command center' want this operation. Why are the 'users' or 'customers' telling the tower what runway they want? When an aircraft rolls off the end of the runway (it may happen with these bad tailwind landings) are the 'users' or 'customers' going to accept responsibility or is it the controller that will hang for it. The controller will be left to hang!Also an issue is the airspace design. LGA arrivals are above the JFK ILS Runway 22L and 22R approaches at 4000 feet. They should be above the approaches at 5000 feet. This allows JFK to keep the arrivals at 2000 feet and 4000 feet. This keeps the aircraft at the Class B altitude not under it (the Class B is at 3000 feet northeast of JFK). LGA arrivals are above the JFK ILS 22L and 22R approaches at 4000 feet. They should be above the approaches at 5000 feet. This allows JFK to keep the arrivals at 2000 feet and 4000 feet. This keeps the aircraft at the Class B altitude not under it (the Class B is at 3000 feet north east of JFK). Also the Class B airspace northeast of JFK needs to be lowered from 3000 feet to 1500 feet. JFK lands Runway 22L and 22R very often. It is amazing that helicopter and light fixed wing traffic can legally be at 2500 feet and fly above or below aircraft into JFK legally and not even be talking to ATC. The volume of traffic into JFK makes it necessary to use 2000 feet and 3000 feet to maintain separation with the arrivals but we also have to dodge VFR traffic that we are not talking to. Again it's only a matter of time before there is an accident. Also if the JFK operation could stay at 3000 feet and 4000 feet on the 22L and 22R operation it is much better noise abatement for the communities that are under the JFK 22L/R operation. The biggest problem is JFK tower making us use runways with tailwind operations. It amazes me the pilots don't complain but only when we tell them the wind; then they start to complain. But that still doesn't help.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.