Narrative:

Controller a (norbi arrival), controller B (nyack departure). Air carrier X IFR arrival to hpn, via valre V157 radar vector visibility approach hpn runway 34. Cga Y IFR through aircraft to 6000' and reduced airspeed to 210 KTS. At xx:23.13 air carrier X is descended to 5000'. Controller B descended cga Y to 5000'. Cga Y is eastbound on V39 to cmk. Controller B asked controller a 'if you see my traffic at 5000'.' where upon controller a issued air carrier X a turn to 040 degree (from approximately 170 degree) and issued traffic at 2 O'clock and 2 mi. Air carrier X is at 5500' at this time, but continues descent to 5000'. The 2 aircraft come to within 1 mi same altitude. Both have each other in sight. This is an airspace problem in the lga/hpn area of the ny TRACON. The arrival route from valre to hpn V157, requires the nobbi controller to descend these arrs from 6000' to 3000' within approximately 9 mi, west/O coordination. This is to avoid crossing traffic westbound at 4000' and V39 cmk eastbound at 5000', plus there may be an arrival for hpn in the at 3000' (from the west). It is not a 'look an run' but. Where this incident happened, was in nyack's airspace. Nyack owns 4000' and below. However, cga Y was on a route that requires a handoff to the nobbi controller. Due to the fact that cga Y would enter nobbi's airspace within 3 to 4 mi of where the incident happened. The nyack controller B failed to make an automated handoff or a point out in a timely mannor. In fact the aircraft was being handoff to the next area of control. Our area's operations manual requires a handoff be made to the nobbi controller of all traffic eastbound (V39 cmk, or rv cmk) at 5000' by the nyack controller. Air carrier X was issued 5000' only due to traffic westbound at 4000'. Air carrier X was just a bit late coming over from bos center and the traffic volume was heavy into hpn. Granted air carrier X did enter anothers airspace west/O coordination, however, cga Y not being handoff in a timely manner did not help the situation. Supplemental information from acn 153005. This is not a cya, but just one for the records, yours and mine. We were approaching hpn from the north and had been cleared to descend to 5000'. We were still descending at about 5500'. Our assigned heading was 170 degree. At this time the controller in a calm voice told us to turn left to 040 degree. Calm voice or not, we didn't just fall off the turnip truck. That turn was far to severe and in the wrong direction for us not to situation up and take note. We acknowledged and then the controller pointed out traffic at 12 O'clock, 2 mi, 5000'. Well as we were turning I (right seat) saw the traffic closer than 2 mi and in a turn that appeared to be away from us. But it still looked like we were closing so I overrode the PF's controls to steepen the bank (35-40 degree). We didn't die and nothing more was said in flight. We called my approach on the ground and he supervisor and the controller said the alarm had indeed gone off and that the other aircraft was coming in from another approach sector. We were not at fault. They were looking into it. Hpn is no place for large passenger aircraft. Controller was far too busy, he never listened to anyone's readback of their clearance. Controller should have shown more alarm in his voice. Controller should have given us immediate climb instructions. By the way, controller was not working the other aircraft to our knowledge. Airspace over hpn is far too busy, just as we must take random urine drug tests to insure public safety (which is more important than our 4TH amendment rights) so too, small aircraft should not have the right to occupy so much of the controller's time thereby jeopardizing the same public safety (don't know if this really fits here but it just made me feel good to put it on paper). Final conclusion, controller saved our lives.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFLICT OCCURRED WHEN CTLRS DESCENDED TWO ACFT TO SAME ALT ON CROSSING COURSES. EVASIVE ACTION NECESSARY.

Narrative: CTLR A (NORBI ARR), CTLR B (NYACK DEP). ACR X IFR ARR TO HPN, VIA VALRE V157 RADAR VECTOR VIS APCH HPN RWY 34. CGA Y IFR THROUGH ACFT TO 6000' AND REDUCED AIRSPD TO 210 KTS. AT XX:23.13 ACR X IS DSNDED TO 5000'. CTLR B DSNDED CGA Y TO 5000'. CGA Y IS EBND ON V39 TO CMK. CTLR B ASKED CTLR A 'IF YOU SEE MY TFC AT 5000'.' WHERE UPON CTLR A ISSUED ACR X A TURN TO 040 DEG (FROM APPROX 170 DEG) AND ISSUED TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK AND 2 MI. ACR X IS AT 5500' AT THIS TIME, BUT CONTINUES DSNT TO 5000'. THE 2 ACFT COME TO WITHIN 1 MI SAME ALT. BOTH HAVE EACH OTHER IN SIGHT. THIS IS AN AIRSPACE PROB IN THE LGA/HPN AREA OF THE NY TRACON. THE ARR RTE FROM VALRE TO HPN V157, REQUIRES THE NOBBI CTLR TO DSND THESE ARRS FROM 6000' TO 3000' WITHIN APPROX 9 MI, W/O COORD. THIS IS TO AVOID XING TFC WBND AT 4000' AND V39 CMK EBND AT 5000', PLUS THERE MAY BE AN ARR FOR HPN IN THE AT 3000' (FROM THE W). IT IS NOT A 'LOOK AN RUN' BUT. WHERE THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED, WAS IN NYACK'S AIRSPACE. NYACK OWNS 4000' AND BELOW. HOWEVER, CGA Y WAS ON A RTE THAT REQUIRES A HDOF TO THE NOBBI CTLR. DUE TO THE FACT THAT CGA Y WOULD ENTER NOBBI'S AIRSPACE WITHIN 3 TO 4 MI OF WHERE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. THE NYACK CTLR B FAILED TO MAKE AN AUTOMATED HDOF OR A POINT OUT IN A TIMELY MANNOR. IN FACT THE ACFT WAS BEING HDOF TO THE NEXT AREA OF CTL. OUR AREA'S OPS MANUAL REQUIRES A HDOF BE MADE TO THE NOBBI CTLR OF ALL TFC EBND (V39 CMK, OR RV CMK) AT 5000' BY THE NYACK CTLR. ACR X WAS ISSUED 5000' ONLY DUE TO TFC WBND AT 4000'. ACR X WAS JUST A BIT LATE COMING OVER FROM BOS CTR AND THE TFC VOLUME WAS HVY INTO HPN. GRANTED ACR X DID ENTER ANOTHERS AIRSPACE W/O COORD, HOWEVER, CGA Y NOT BEING HDOF IN A TIMELY MANNER DID NOT HELP THE SITUATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 153005. THIS IS NOT A CYA, BUT JUST ONE FOR THE RECORDS, YOURS AND MINE. WE WERE APCHING HPN FROM THE N AND HAD BEEN CLRED TO DSND TO 5000'. WE WERE STILL DSNDING AT ABOUT 5500'. OUR ASSIGNED HDG WAS 170 DEG. AT THIS TIME THE CTLR IN A CALM VOICE TOLD US TO TURN L TO 040 DEG. CALM VOICE OR NOT, WE DIDN'T JUST FALL OFF THE TURNIP TRUCK. THAT TURN WAS FAR TO SEVERE AND IN THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR US NOT TO SIT UP AND TAKE NOTE. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND THEN THE CTLR POINTED OUT TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK, 2 MI, 5000'. WELL AS WE WERE TURNING I (R SEAT) SAW THE TFC CLOSER THAN 2 MI AND IN A TURN THAT APPEARED TO BE AWAY FROM US. BUT IT STILL LOOKED LIKE WE WERE CLOSING SO I OVERRODE THE PF'S CTLS TO STEEPEN THE BANK (35-40 DEG). WE DIDN'T DIE AND NOTHING MORE WAS SAID IN FLT. WE CALLED MY APCH ON THE GND AND HE SUPVR AND THE CTLR SAID THE ALARM HAD INDEED GONE OFF AND THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS COMING IN FROM ANOTHER APCH SECTOR. WE WERE NOT AT FAULT. THEY WERE LOOKING INTO IT. HPN IS NO PLACE FOR LARGE PAX ACFT. CTLR WAS FAR TOO BUSY, HE NEVER LISTENED TO ANYONE'S READBACK OF THEIR CLRNC. CTLR SHOULD HAVE SHOWN MORE ALARM IN HIS VOICE. CTLR SHOULD HAVE GIVEN US IMMEDIATE CLB INSTRUCTIONS. BY THE WAY, CTLR WAS NOT WORKING THE OTHER ACFT TO OUR KNOWLEDGE. AIRSPACE OVER HPN IS FAR TOO BUSY, JUST AS WE MUST TAKE RANDOM URINE DRUG TESTS TO INSURE PUBLIC SAFETY (WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUR 4TH AMENDMENT RIGHTS) SO TOO, SMALL ACFT SHOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO OCCUPY SO MUCH OF THE CTLR'S TIME THEREBY JEOPARDIZING THE SAME PUBLIC SAFETY (DON'T KNOW IF THIS REALLY FITS HERE BUT IT JUST MADE ME FEEL GOOD TO PUT IT ON PAPER). FINAL CONCLUSION, CTLR SAVED OUR LIVES.

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.