A B727-200 FLC DIVERTS TO BWI WHEN ATC DELAYS DUE TO TSTM ACTIVITY AFFECTS THEIR FUEL STATUS FOR MAKING AN APCH INTO PHL.

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LOCATION: OTT 248 DEG RADIAL; 10 DME. WE HELD AT OTT FOR 20 MINS; ADVISED ATC THAT WE COULD HOLD FOR 10 MORE MINS. ATC RELEASED US TO PHL; THEN PUT US BACK IN HOLDING. WE HAD ALREADY WORKED ON MAKING MDT OUR ALT TO INCREASE HOLD TIME. WE WERE TO GO TO MDT FOR FUEL AND USE BWI AS ALTERNATE. WE HELD SO LONG THAT WE DECIDED TO GO TO BWI FOR FUEL. WHEN WE GOT TO BWI APCH; THEY ASKED OUR FUEL PROB. WE ADVISED NO PROB; JUST NOT ENOUGH FOR LEGAL REQUIREMENTS TO PHL. UPON LNDG AT BWI; WE GOT A RED R GEAR WARNING WITH THE AUDIBLE HORN 'NO GREEN.' WE EXITED THE RWY VERY SLOWLY AND WAITED TO BE PINNED FOR A TAXI TO THE GATE. AT THE GATE; 2 FAA REPRESENTATIVES GREETED US TO FIND OUT WHY ZDC CALLED THEM ON OUR FUEL STATUS. OUR DECISION FUEL AT OTT WAS 13500 LBS. AT ABOUT 15000 LBS WE ADVISED ATC OF OUR TIME REMAINING. THEY RELEASED US AT ABOUT 13300 LBS; THEN PUT US BACK IN HOLD TO ABOUT 10200 LBS. BWI WAS NOW OUR DEST; WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE WITH ABOUT 8300 LBS. ATC AT BWI APCH WERE QUITE HELPFUL IN LETTING US DO WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO. THERE WAS JUST TOO MUCH TFC IN THE PHL AREA TO GET US IN WITH LEGAL FUEL REQUIREMENTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 479061: WERE CLRED OUT OF HOLD ONLY TO BE SENT BACK AFTER 20 MI. HOLDING WAS DUE TO TSTMS IN AREA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 479059: THE CAPT DETERMINED THAT WE NEEDED TO LEAVE HOLDING FOR PHL WITH NO LESS THAN 10200 LBS FUEL; IF WE WERE TO CONTINUE TO PHL. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT DISPATCH TO GET A CLOSER ALTERNATE. DISPATCH CHANGED OUR ALTERNATE FROM BWI TO MDT. WE WERE HELD IN HOLDING UNTIL WE LACKED THE FUEL TO LEGALLY CONTINUE ON TO PHL; EXECUTE A MISSED APCH; PROCEED TO THE ALTERNATE; AND LAND WITH AN ADEQUATE FUEL RESERVE. WE WERE LEFT WITH THE OPTION OF PROCEEDING DIRECTLY TO OUR NEW ALTERNATE (MDT) OR REQUESTING A FLT PLAN CHANGE FOR BWI. THE CAPT ELECTED TO REQUEST THE FLT PLAN CHANGE AS BWI WAS 20 MI FROM OTT AND WAS A STATION WHERE THE PAX COULD BE EASILY ACCOMMODATED. AFTER THE GEAR WAS PINNED; WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WHERE WE WERE REFUELED; REDISPATCHED TO PHL; AND THE MALFUNCTION WAS CORRECTED BEFORE PROCEEDING ON TO PHL.