C60 CREW OPERATED A TRIP WITH AN EXPIRED MEL ITEM.

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PRIOR TO FLT; I NOTICED AN MEL ITEM (OBSERVER'S SEAT AUDIO PANEL) AND I REFERRED TO THE ACFT MAINT LOG AND OUR MEL TO REVIEW THE DISCREPANCY AND TO SEE WHAT RESTRS WE WOULD HAVE TO OUR FLT. I NOTED THAT THE MEL WAS A CAT A ITEM AND RESTR TO 2 FLT DAYS; BUT I INADVERTENTLY OVERLOOKED THE DATE OF DISCREPANCY (FEB/THU/02) OR I WOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT THE MEL EXPIRED AT MIDNIGHT FEB/SAT/02. (WE WERE THE THIRD FLT ON FEB/SUN/02.) WHEN I ARRIVED AT OUR DEST (ZZZZ) I HAD TELEPHONE CONTACT WITH A MAINT CTLR WHO HAD CALLED TO INFORM US OF THE EXPIRED MEL AND GNDED OUR AIRPLANE WHICH WE EVENTUALLY FERRIED BACK TO PHOENIX FOR REPAIRS. I WAS LURED INTO COMPLACENCY BY 2 THINGS: 1) THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLOWN BEFORE ME BY ANOTHER CREW. 2) WE HAVE A FANCY MAINT COMPUTER LINKED TO OUR FLT RELEASE SYS THAT TRACKS THE STATUS OF MEL'S. WHEN I LOOKED AT MY RELEASE; THE EXPIRATION DATE WAS NOT IN THE SYS AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THE DISPATCHER ALSO MISSED NOTICING THE ABSENT EXPIRATION DATE. IN ADDITION; I WILL RECOMMEND THAT A BOX BE ADDED TO OUR MAINT LOG IN THE AIRPLANE WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE AND TIME CLRLY VISIBLE OF ALL MEL ITEMS.