Narrative:

Aircraft maintenance logbook showed MEL 27-11, gust lock inoperative with an MEL extension to aircraft block hours of 4483 hours. However, the flight release also showed an MEL expiration date of mar/xa/01. [Flight date was 9 days later.] I called dispatch to confirm that the aircraft block hour extension was overriding. Dispatch and maintenance operations control confirmed this, but would not remove the expiration date (of 9 days ago). I was uncomfortable with the expiration date of mar/xa/01 on my release. I requested and received an ACARS printout confirming the flight was legal. 2 hours later, on my flight release for this aircraft's next flight, the expiration date had been changed to jul/xa/01. Why? On my next flight it had changed to apr/xa/01. Why? Were we legal or not? Our manuals do not address this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 PIC QUESTIONS THE CHANGING DATES OF THE EXTENDED MEL PERTAINING TO GUST LOCKS INOP ON HIS ACFT PRIOR TO FLT AND SUCCEEDING FLTS AT ZZZ, US.

Narrative: ACFT MAINT LOGBOOK SHOWED MEL 27-11, GUST LOCK INOP WITH AN MEL EXTENSION TO ACFT BLOCK HRS OF 4483 HRS. HOWEVER, THE FLT RELEASE ALSO SHOWED AN MEL EXPIRATION DATE OF MAR/XA/01. [FLT DATE WAS 9 DAYS LATER.] I CALLED DISPATCH TO CONFIRM THAT THE ACFT BLOCK HR EXTENSION WAS OVERRIDING. DISPATCH AND MAINT OPS CTL CONFIRMED THIS, BUT WOULD NOT REMOVE THE EXPIRATION DATE (OF 9 DAYS AGO). I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF MAR/XA/01 ON MY RELEASE. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AN ACARS PRINTOUT CONFIRMING THE FLT WAS LEGAL. 2 HRS LATER, ON MY FLT RELEASE FOR THIS ACFT'S NEXT FLT, THE EXPIRATION DATE HAD BEEN CHANGED TO JUL/XA/01. WHY? ON MY NEXT FLT IT HAD CHANGED TO APR/XA/01. WHY? WERE WE LEGAL OR NOT? OUR MANUALS DO NOT ADDRESS THIS SIT.

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.