B757-200 CREW DEPARTED WITH 1 CHANNEL OF THE AUTOPLT INOP PER THE MEL. REQUIRED MAINT INSPECTIONS MANDATED BY THE MEL WERE NOT DONE.

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I HAD LOOKED UP ACFT WRITE-UPS ON COMPUTER IN OPS PRIOR TO GOING TO THE GATE. UPON START OF PREFLT CHKS; I LOOKED FOR THE ACFT LOGBOOK. I DIDN'T KNOW THE CAPT HAD IT. I CALLED MAINT; THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK FOR IT. I WENT AND DID EXTERIOR INSPECTION. I CAME BACK AND QUICKLY LOOKED THROUGH LOGBOOK AND FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THE AUTOPLT WAS PLACARDED WITH A YELLOW PLACARD. MAINT HAD NOT SIGNED OFF THE CHKS REQUIRED TO BE DONE ACCORDING TO MEL BEFORE THE FLT. I NOTICED THIS FACT DURING FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 602640: DEPARTED GATE WITHOUT REQUIRED MAINT INSPECTIONS (AS HAD THE PREVIOUS FLT) PER MEL FOR 1 CHANNEL OF AUTOPLT INOP. I FEEL THE RECENT (OVER) EMPHASIS FROM THE TOP OF THE FLT DEPT ON 'CAPTS TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE DEP EQUATION' IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS; AS WELL AS PAST AND POTENTIAL FUTURE SUCH MISDIRECTION OF ATTN. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN COUPLED WITH THE TIME PRESSURE TO 'CLOSE THE DOOR.' I BELIEVE OUR VERY HIGH ACFT DAMAGE RATE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS OUR FIRST; FOREMOST; AND POSSIBLY ONLY EMPHASIS AT THIS JUNCTURE.