Narrative:

While I checked the airplane maintenance logbook, I found the pressure refueling system is deferred. But it was unusually busy departure preparation as no catering is done for the cabin, flight attendant has problem to close one of her galley drawers, refueling has not been done, I had to remind the first officer that we have to tell the fueler to refuel through overwing refuel cap which we would not do because passenger were boarding. Also we had to call maintenance because engine oil is low. Also, I had to make sure that the first officer checked that the vent valve was not leaking. As I was taking care of all of these items, plus normal checks, checking the MEL expiration date was not occurred to me (it is usually maintenance's function to check MEL items to be taken care of). We departed for the overnight trip after about 5 mins delay. Next morning when we arrived base station and parked the airplane, a maintenance came on board and showed me the maintenance logbook pointing out the MEL item expired yesterday. They said they overlooked the item and did not take care of it yesterday evening and did not stop departing from the outstation today. From now on, checking the MEL expiration date is one of my permanent personal checklist items such as checking dispatch release, WX, NOTAM, maintenance release, deferred item, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E121 CREW OPERATED A FLT WITH AN EXPIRED MEL ITEM.

Narrative: WHILE I CHKED THE AIRPLANE MAINT LOGBOOK, I FOUND THE PRESSURE REFUELING SYS IS DEFERRED. BUT IT WAS UNUSUALLY BUSY DEP PREPARATION AS NO CATERING IS DONE FOR THE CABIN, FLT ATTENDANT HAS PROB TO CLOSE ONE OF HER GALLEY DRAWERS, REFUELING HAS NOT BEEN DONE, I HAD TO REMIND THE FO THAT WE HAVE TO TELL THE FUELER TO REFUEL THROUGH OVERWING REFUEL CAP WHICH WE WOULD NOT DO BECAUSE PAX WERE BOARDING. ALSO WE HAD TO CALL MAINT BECAUSE ENG OIL IS LOW. ALSO, I HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FO CHKED THAT THE VENT VALVE WAS NOT LEAKING. AS I WAS TAKING CARE OF ALL OF THESE ITEMS, PLUS NORMAL CHKS, CHKING THE MEL EXPIRATION DATE WAS NOT OCCURRED TO ME (IT IS USUALLY MAINT'S FUNCTION TO CHK MEL ITEMS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF). WE DEPARTED FOR THE OVERNIGHT TRIP AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS DELAY. NEXT MORNING WHEN WE ARRIVED BASE STATION AND PARKED THE AIRPLANE, A MAINT CAME ON BOARD AND SHOWED ME THE MAINT LOGBOOK POINTING OUT THE MEL ITEM EXPIRED YESTERDAY. THEY SAID THEY OVERLOOKED THE ITEM AND DID NOT TAKE CARE OF IT YESTERDAY EVENING AND DID NOT STOP DEPARTING FROM THE OUTSTATION TODAY. FROM NOW ON, CHKING THE MEL EXPIRATION DATE IS ONE OF MY PERMANENT PERSONAL CHKLIST ITEMS SUCH AS CHKING DISPATCH RELEASE, WX, NOTAM, MAINT RELEASE, DEFERRED ITEM, ETC.

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.