AN ACR LTT DEPARTED WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL.

Narrative

WE DEPARTED READING ENRTE TO PITTSBURGH. ON THE CLBOUT THE CAPT DISCOVERED WE DID NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED FUEL ON BOARD AS SPECIFIED BY OUR FLT RELEASE. INSTEAD OF HAVING 1500 LBS OF FUEL WE ONLY HAD 900 LBS. AT THIS POINT WE HAD 3 OPTIONS. THE FIRST; CONTINUING ON TO PIT WE QUICKLY ELIMINATED FOR 2 REASONS: OUR FUEL BURN CALLED FOR 750 LBS WHICH WOULD HAVE ONLY LEFT US 150 LBS; NOT ENOUGH TO MEET OUR LEGAL REQUIREMENT. HAVING COME FROM PIT AN HR AND A HALF AGO WE KNEW THE WX WAS GETTING WORSE. OUR SECOND OPTION WAS TO RETURN TO READING. OUR THIRD OPTION WAS TO DIVERT TO AN ALT ARPT ALONG OUR RTE. WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO THE ST THOMAS VOR (THS) AND THE HAGERSTOWN; MD; ARPT WAS ALONG THAT RTE. WITH HAGERSTOWN BEING A CITY WE NORMALLY SERVE AS WELL AS A LEGAL ALTERNATE FOR US; AND BEING ONLY 20 MINS AWAY WITH 1 1/2 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD WE CHOSE TO STOP AT HAGERSTOWN TO TAKE ON FUEL. WE ADVISED ZDC OF OUR INTENTIONS. WE ADVISED OUR PEOPLE IN HAGERSTOWN OF OUR SIT AND LANDED. AFTER FUELING WE DEPARTED FOR PIT AND THE FLT CONCLUDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE AS FOLLOWS: A SCHEDULE REQUIRING A 15 MIN TURN AROUND TIME. SECONDLY; A FUELER WHO; FOR WHATEVER REASON; NEVER FUELED THE AIRPLANE. THIRDLY; STATION AGENTS WHO IN THEIR DESIRE FOR ON TIME PERFORMANCE; NEVER NOTICED OR ADVISED THE CREW THAT THE FUEL TRUCK NEVER CAME TO FUEL THE AIRPLANE. FINALLY; A CREW; SPECIFICALLY THE CAPT WHO IN THEIR DESIRE FOR TIMELINESS; MISREAD THE FUEL GAUGES. COMMUTER AIRLINE SCHEDULES LIKE THIS ONE ARE SO TIGHT IN TERMS OF TIME CONSTRAINTS; THAT THEY BREED MISTAKES.