A B757-225 ACFT FLT CREW NOTICED MAINTENANCE HAD BACKDATED PREVIOUS SELCAL SQUAWKS TO SATISFY MEL RELEASE INDICATING THE ACFT HAD BEEN UN-AIRWORTHY.

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I HAVE A QUESTION ON AN MEL. IN LAS WE HAD AN INOP SECAL SYS. IT WAS WRITTEN UP AT LEAST 4 TIMES PRIOR. AFTER OUR WRITE-UP MAINT DECIDED THAT IT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP TOO MANY TIMES TO MEL (IT HAD TO BE FIXED THIS TIME) SO THEY BACK DATED THE MEL. THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT AND THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE LOGBOOK; THEY REISSUED THE MEL AND GAVE IT A DATE OF A FEW DAYS BACK (ALMOST A WEEK). BY DOING THIS WE NOW HAD AN MEL THAT WAS ON THE PLANE THAT FLEW WITH PAPERWORK (RELEASE) WITHOUT AN MEL LISTED ON IT FOR OVER A WEEK. IF WE ARE ALLOWED TO DO THIS AND THERE WAS A PLT OR MAINT ACTION REQUIRED BEFORE A FLT WE HAVE (JUST IN MY PLANE 6 DAYS WORTH) AN AIRPLANE FLYING AROUND UNAIRWORTHY. HOW CAN THIS BE LEGAL? HOW DO WE PROTECT THE CREWS THAT FLEW THE PLANE WITHOUT HAVING THE MEL LISTED ON THE RELEASE? HOW DO WE HAVE AN AIRWORTHY ACFT IF THE CREW DID NOT KNOW THEY NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON THE MEL'S? HOW DOES THE FAA ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN (ALLOW AN AIRPLANE TO FLY AROUND WITH A NON-COMPLIED MEL)? THIS IS JUST A FEW OF THE PROBS I SEE WITH THIS PROC OF BACK DATING MEL'S. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE FALSIFYING RECORDS.