Narrative:

Aircraft has been flying 22 days with category 'C' mco (maintenance carry over -- deferred item) for autothrottles. Numerous tests were done, but aircraft returned to line only to be put on mco on initial flight. Aircraft remained overnight at maintenance station. 40 mins prior to departure, asked to have maintenance at least look at autothrottles. 15 mins later mechanic showed up to say we would take a delay to look at it. 20 mins later, another mechanic showed up telling us he didn't have people to look at it. Asked again to look at it, he put on OTS tag then left. 15 mins later station's person escorted me down to talk to dispatcher on phone (who I had kept in the loop throughout). Phone in jetway was ok. Talked to maintenance coordination (ZZZ1) and dispatcher. Maintenance coordination promised aircraft would be taken OTS if I flew it to ZZZ2. I told him I'd like to see aircraft looked at either in ZZZ (gave us XC00 vice scheduled XA20 departure) or in ZZZ3. Supposedly set up in ZZZ3. However, barely airborne got a message via ACARS that we are now dead heading vice flying flight from ZZZ3 to ZZZ2.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE FOR 22 DAYS WITH A DEFERRED ITEM ON AUTOTHROTTLE MALFUNCTION THAT REQUIRED A 3 DAY MUST FIX LIMIT.

Narrative: ACFT HAS BEEN FLYING 22 DAYS WITH CATEGORY 'C' MCO (MAINT CARRY OVER -- DEFERRED ITEM) FOR AUTOTHROTTLES. NUMEROUS TESTS WERE DONE, BUT ACFT RETURNED TO LINE ONLY TO BE PUT ON MCO ON INITIAL FLT. ACFT REMAINED OVERNIGHT AT MAINT STATION. 40 MINS PRIOR TO DEP, ASKED TO HAVE MAINT AT LEAST LOOK AT AUTOTHROTTLES. 15 MINS LATER MECH SHOWED UP TO SAY WE WOULD TAKE A DELAY TO LOOK AT IT. 20 MINS LATER, ANOTHER MECH SHOWED UP TELLING US HE DIDN'T HAVE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT IT. ASKED AGAIN TO LOOK AT IT, HE PUT ON OTS TAG THEN LEFT. 15 MINS LATER STATION'S PERSON ESCORTED ME DOWN TO TALK TO DISPATCHER ON PHONE (WHO I HAD KEPT IN THE LOOP THROUGHOUT). PHONE IN JETWAY WAS OK. TALKED TO MAINT COORD (ZZZ1) AND DISPATCHER. MAINT COORD PROMISED ACFT WOULD BE TAKEN OTS IF I FLEW IT TO ZZZ2. I TOLD HIM I'D LIKE TO SEE ACFT LOOKED AT EITHER IN ZZZ (GAVE US XC00 VICE SCHEDULED XA20 DEP) OR IN ZZZ3. SUPPOSEDLY SET UP IN ZZZ3. HOWEVER, BARELY AIRBORNE GOT A MESSAGE VIA ACARS THAT WE ARE NOW DEAD HEADING VICE FLYING FLT FROM ZZZ3 TO ZZZ2.

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.