AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED ONE DAY OVER THE TIME ALLOWED FOR DEFERMENT OF AN INOP ENG DRIVEN GENERATOR.

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ON PREFLT OF ACFT LOGBOOK; I NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN EXPIRED MEL ITEM (3 DAY FIX ITEM). ITEM IN QUESTION WAS MEL FOR INOP L-HAND GENERATOR ON MD80 ACFT. THIS ITEM WAS ENTERED INTO LOGBOOK ON NOV/XA/98; FOR WHICH THERE WAS A WRITE-UP AND A MEL PLACARD. I CALLED MAINT CTL TO ASK ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAID THE MEL DEFERMENT SHOULD READ NOV/XB/98 AND THAT THE MECH PROBABLY ERRED ON THE DATE INSERT (END OF FIRST CALL). AFTER REFLECTING ON THIS FURTHER; I CALLED BACK A SECOND TIME TO RECEIVE FURTHER CLARIFICATION AND UNDERSTANDING ON THIS MATTER. THIS TIME THEY OFFERED TO SEND ME A FAX COPY THAT INDICATES THE MEL LOGBOOK INSERT TO BE NOV/XB/98. I SAID SEND THE FAX; I WON'T GO WITHOUT THIS HARD COPY. UPON RECEIPT OF FAX; I WAS TO PUT THE FAX INTO THE LOGBOOK FOR OTHERS TO SEE AFTER MY ROTATION. THIS FAX INDEED DID MAKE REF TO NOV/XB/98 USING A FORMAT I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH; SO IT WAS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN; BUT IT DID LOOK TO BE IN GOOD ORDER SO WE FLEW THE PLANE FROM PHX-PDX WITHOUT INCIDENT. HOWEVER; IN CRUISE; I STARTED TO REFLECT ONE MORE TIME ON THIS FAX AND REVIEWED IT ONE MORE TIME ONLY TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT MAINT CTL HAD IN FACT ERRED AND I HAD BEEN RIGHT ALL ALONG. UPON LNDG IN PORTLAND; I WENT RIGHT TO MAINT AND EXPLAINED MY TAKE ON THIS SIT AND THEY TOO AGREED WITH ME. (PHX IS NOT ONE OF OUR MAINT STATIONS.) MAINT CTL WAS CONTACTED BY PDX MAINT AND THE PLANE GNDED. MAINT PERSONNEL AND PERHAPS PLTS SHOULD RECEIVE SOME TRAINING ON THIS MEL FORMAT THAT WAS FAXED TO ME TO INCREASE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.