A CHALLENGER 601-3R WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH BOTH REVERSERS DEFERRED AS INOP IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL.

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ON MAR/WED/00; OUR CHALLENGER 601-3R WAS RECEIVED FROM MAINT AT THE FACTORY MAINT CTR LOCATION IN ZZZ (ZZZ; US). I AND A FO UNDER THE AUTH OF A SPECIAL FLT PERMIT HAD FLOWN THE ACFT THERE ON MAR/MON/00. THE R-HAND THRUST REVERSER WAS PINNED DURING THAT FLT. AT THE TIME OF OUR ARR AT THE ARPT (APPROX XA00 LCL TIME ON MAR/WED/00) THE ACFT WAS BEING RETURNED TO THE HANGAR DUE TO RPTED HAIL IN THE AREA. IN ORDER TO MEET THE SCHEDULED DEP TIME OUT OF OUR NEXT LOCATION; A DEP TIME FOR OUR 'NO PAX' LEG FROM ZZZ OF APPROX XF20 LCL WAS REQUIRED. MAINT PERSONNEL INFORMED US THAT NECESSARY PARTS TO REPAIR THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN RECEIVED AND THAT BOTH THRUST REVERSERS WERE INOP. ALTHOUGH I QUESTIONED THE FACT THAT BOTH WERE INOP SINCE ONLY THE R SIDE HAD BEEN PINNED ON OUR INBOUND FLT; IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT BOTH THRUST REVERSERS WERE NOW PINNED AND HAD ALSO BEEN DISABLED (BY COLLARING THE APPROPRIATE CIRCUIT BREAKERS). OTHER DISCREPANCIES AT THE TIME OF ARR HAD BEEN CORRECTED. IN ADDITION; THE ITEM BEING OPERATED UNDER THE SCOPE OF THE MEL IS THEN ENTERED ON AN ADDITIONAL RECORD MAINTAINED IN THE ACFT. THIS DOCUMENTATION IS THEN FAXED TO OUR OFFICE WHERE IT IS REVIEWED BY OUR INTERNAL MAINT TECHNICIANS. AFTER THEIR REVIEW AND APPROVAL; THE ACFT IS DESIGNATED AS OPERATIONALLY READY. THIS INFO IS THEN MADE AVAILABLE TO OUR FLT CTL OP SO THAT THEY CAN KNOW AND ISSUE AN APPROPRIATE RELEASE WHEN THE CREW CALLS IN PRIOR TO DEP. AFTER BEING ADVISED THAT BOTH REVERSERS WERE PINNED AND NOT OPERATIONAL THE CREW DISCUSSED OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT ADEQUATE RWY WAS AVAILABLE FOR THE INTENDED OPS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WITHOUT REVERSERS (EVEN IF WET RWYS WERE ENCOUNTERED) ADEQUATE RWY LENGTHS WERE AVAILABLE FOR OUR PLANNED TRIP. WHEN I CALLED TO GET THE RELEASE; THEY PROMPTLY ISSUED A RELEASE AND ALSO INDICATED THAT WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL LEG REPOSITIONING THE ACFT IN ORDER THAT THEY COULD COMPLETE NECESSARY MAINT ON THE REVERSERS. AT THAT TIME I INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE NEW DEST BUT SINCE BOTH REVERSERS WERE NOW PINNED; ADDITIONAL INFO WOULD HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT FOR THAT ARPT. OUR INTERNAL MAINT OFFICE WAS ALSO CONTACTED IN ORDER TO INFORM THEM OF THE LOCATION IN THE ACFT OF TUBING THAT ZZZ MAINT HAD SENT FOR USE IN REACTIVATING THE THRUST REVERSERS. SINCE THIS TRIP COMPLETED OUR ROTATION; THE CREW AIRLINED HOME. 2 DAYS LATER I WAS CONTACTED BY MY SUPVR INDICATING THAT FLYING THE ACFT WITH BOTH THRUST REVERSERS PINNED WAS NOT COVERED BY THE MEL. INTENDED MAINT AT OUR LAST DEST HAD NOT CORRECTED THE PROB; AND THE PLT ASSIGNED TO PICK UP THE ACFT THERE HAD NOTED BOTH A PAPERWORK ERROR AND THE FACT THAT BOTH THRUST REVERSERS PINNED WAS NOT COVERED BY THE MEL. MY REVIEW OF THE PAPERWORK HAD NOT DISCOVERED THAT REF WAS MADE TO ONLY ONE SIDE BEING PINNED (INSTEAD OF BOTH). AND; RELYING ON THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE RELEASE FROM BOTH ZZZ MAINT AND OUR DISPATCH; I HAD NOT REVIEWED THE MEL REGARDING BOTH THRUST REVERSERS BEING PINNED. OP OF THE ACFT HAD BEEN WITHIN THE PERFORMANCE RANGES SPECIFIED FOR OP WITHOUT THRUST REVERSERS. BUT AN ADDITIONAL FACT NOW SURFACED. ALTHOUGH IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT BOTH THRUST REVERSERS HAD BEEN PINNED; IN REALITY ONLY THE R SIDE REMAINED PINNED; THE L SIDE HAD ONLY BEEN DISABLED ELECTRICALLY INSIDE THE COCKPIT. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FACT IS THAT HAD THE NON-MECHANICALLY PINNED REVERSER EXTENDED INFLT; THE CREW WOULD HAVE HAD NO WAY TO STOW IT. RESULTING HANDLING PROBS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN LOSS OF CTL. (NOTE: A VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF THE PINNED STATUS IS NOT POSSIBLE DURING A NORMAL CREW MEMBER PREFLT.)