[Poohbah]

I don't buy that for a second. Soldiers in hot contact getting shot up always take priority. Normal recon and other missions automatically divert to provide CAS. You can't tell me that all of the helo gunships in the Baghdad area were at that moment providing critical CAS to troops elsewhere who were getting chewed up even worse than this convoy.

Other possibility: troops on scene never called for CAS. Combat support troops frequently don't know how to do that.

[R. Scott]

“Combat support troops frequently don't know how to do that.”
We often did not have the frequencies or call signs, being told we wouldn't need them.

[Travis McGee]

See the long post above. LT in lead vehicle got shot up, no backup comms plan, it sounds like. But even with loss of comms, burning tankers and pillars of smoke didn't get any attention? Cluster foxtrot.