Flight crew of an MD83 operated the aircraft beyond the MEL deferred item time limits.

Attributes
ACN	420550
Time
Date	199811
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phx airport : phx
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 5200
ASRS Report	420550
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft was dispatched with MEL on left engine generator. Crew called seattle maintenance control and they confirmed/verified the airworthiness release was still valid. Later it was discovered the MEL was over its expiration time by several hours.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD83 OPERATED THE ACFT BEYOND THE MEL DEFERRED ITEM TIME LIMITS.

Narrative: ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH MEL ON L ENG GENERATOR. CREW CALLED SEATTLE MAINT CTL AND THEY CONFIRMED/VERIFIED THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE WAS STILL VALID. LATER IT WAS DISCOVERED THE MEL WAS OVER ITS EXPIRATION TIME BY SEVERAL HRS.

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.