i happened to be at a36 shortly after the collision. looked as though the fire truck was parked within the red fire lines. the problem was obviously the lines were drawn incorrectly but also that the fire truck is taller than the md80's wingtips. these lines are drawn incorrectly at several other gates, however most AA equipment is short enough for the wing to pass over. having wing walkers w/o a guideman would most likely not have prevented this collision because they would not have been able to signal the pilots in time.
in reference to jetbridges, as someone mentioned, i have never seen a gate agent come down to the ramp to check for equipment obstructions. ive heard they have cameras but im not positive. and yea, fsc's drive under and park under bridges quite often but i think thats due to constrained space more than anything. as far as i know all AA gates have autopark but traditional wing walkers and guidemen are used during "hand signals." mia has autopark too!
