[/I]Perhaps this is a dumb question, and I certainly mean no disrespect to those who have passed. Why was the person with so much less experience the captain? According to this NTSB report, the FO had more than twice the total time and more than 8 times as many hours in type as the captain. Would someone with that much experience elect to NOT be captain? I know guys do that in the major airlines because they like their seniority and schedule, but would anyone do that at a 135 or fractional?[/QUOTE]

Yes, the 35hrs in type, especially in this type as the apparent designated "captain", troubles me. Now, the swaping of seats per leg is an industry standard. However, this SOP for air carrier/CFR 135 operator would be at the discretion of the Chief pilot/ops-spec and insurance requirements.(typically 50 in type for LR60)
The Guy in the right seat could have still been designated as the pilot in command. Filed flight plan/dispatch records might give a clue on this.

In any case, IF the first sign of trouble the crew was aware of was at 136kts.... then yes, they should have gone flying... and maybe they tried.

More analysis and info to come on this one I'm sure.

later