AN AIRBUS 320 WAS OPERATED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH LONG TERM DEFERRED MAINT ITEMS IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL.

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ON JAN/XA/00 INSPECTOR XXX BOARDED ACR FLC ABC AS IT ARRIVED AT SFO AFTER FLYING FROM CANCUN. INSPECTOR XXX INFORMED THE CREW OF A POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF THE FARS DUE TO 2 MEL WRITE-UPS ON THE ACFT. I FLEW THE ACFT ON THE FIRST LEG FROM SFO TO CANCUN. FIRST; APPROX SEP/99; THE ACFT WAS WRITTEN UP BECAUSE THE APU WOULD NOT START ON BATTERY PWR. MAINT PLACED A NON-MEL DEFERRAL STICKER IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK STATING 'APU WILL NOT START ON BATTERY PWR.' ALL CREWS; INCLUDING MYSELF; CONTINUED TO USE THE APU BUT STARTING IT ONLY ON EXTERNAL PWR OR ACFT GENERATOR PWR. APPROX DEC/XA/99; MAINT CHANGED THE NON-MEL TO A MEL DEFERRAL WITH THE WRITE-UP 'APU INOP; APU WILL NOT START ON BATTERY PWR.' AGAIN; ALL CREWS CONTINUED TO USE THE APU BUT STARTED IT ON EXTERNAL PWR OR ACFT GENERATOR PWR. ON JAN/XB/00 -- 1 DAY AFTER INSPECTOR XXX VISIT -- MAINT CHANGED THE MEL DEFERRAL STICKER TO 'APU SYS INOP.' IF THIS LAST WRITE-UP IS CORRECT; WHY WASN'T IT DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE? THE SECOND AREA OF CONCERN INVOLVES A WRITE-UP ON THE AFT CARGO DOOR CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE MEL DEFERRAL STATED 'AFT CARGO DOOR CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED AND WILL NOT RESET.' UPON INSPECTING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER; AND FINDING IT PUSHED IN; I QUESTIONED MAINT. THE MECH ON DUTY SAID THEY FIXED THE PROB CAUSING THE POPPED BREAKER; BUT WERE AWAITING MORE PARTS BEFORE THE MEL WAS TO BE REMOVED. HE STATED THE DOOR WORKED FINE NOW AND I COULD USE IT WITH NO PROB. INSPECTOR XXX REPORTEDLY SAID THE CIRCUIT BREAKER SHOULD HAVE BEEN PULLED AND COLLARED BY MAINT; BUT THE CREW SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT.