A B767-300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE FOR 22 DAYS WITH A DEFERRED ITEM ON AUTOTHROTTLE MALFUNCTION THAT REQUIRED A 3 DAY MUST FIX LIMIT.

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ACFT HAS BEEN FLYING 22 DAYS WITH CATEGORY 'C' MCO (MAINT CARRY OVER -- DEFERRED ITEM) FOR AUTOTHROTTLES. NUMEROUS TESTS WERE DONE; BUT ACFT RETURNED TO LINE ONLY TO BE PUT ON MCO ON INITIAL FLT. ACFT REMAINED OVERNIGHT AT MAINT STATION. 40 MINS PRIOR TO DEP; ASKED TO HAVE MAINT AT LEAST LOOK AT AUTOTHROTTLES. 15 MINS LATER MECH SHOWED UP TO SAY WE WOULD TAKE A DELAY TO LOOK AT IT. 20 MINS LATER; ANOTHER MECH SHOWED UP TELLING US HE DIDN'T HAVE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT IT. ASKED AGAIN TO LOOK AT IT; HE PUT ON OTS TAG THEN LEFT. 15 MINS LATER STATION'S PERSON ESCORTED ME DOWN TO TALK TO DISPATCHER ON PHONE (WHO I HAD KEPT IN THE LOOP THROUGHOUT). PHONE IN JETWAY WAS OK. TALKED TO MAINT COORD (ZZZ1) AND DISPATCHER. MAINT COORD PROMISED ACFT WOULD BE TAKEN OTS IF I FLEW IT TO ZZZ2. I TOLD HIM I'D LIKE TO SEE ACFT LOOKED AT EITHER IN ZZZ (GAVE US XC00 VICE SCHEDULED XA20 DEP) OR IN ZZZ3. SUPPOSEDLY SET UP IN ZZZ3. HOWEVER; BARELY AIRBORNE GOT A MESSAGE VIA ACARS THAT WE ARE NOW DEAD HEADING VICE FLYING FLT FROM ZZZ3 TO ZZZ2.