Pilot Pay vs. accident
Pilot pay is an indicator of many things at an airline.
If you pay poorly, you may cut corners on training (like not show someone what a stick pusher will do).
If you pay poorly, a pilot probably is not given good sick leave (paid sick leave) so one doesn't call in sick when one is sick.
IF you are paid poorly, maybe your health care plan isn't good either...and you don't get good preventive care ( I suspect that this wasn't a ''cold'' but an alergy...east coast allergens vs. west coast upbringing).
IF you are paid poorly, you can't afford a place to live in the new york area where you could have rested well.
IF You are paid poorly, you have your mind on leaving ASAP instead of improving things at your cheap airline. You are filling out forms to get hired, instead of reading more about how to pilot planes better.
I could go on and on and on...