https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/airas...-ng-b88518000z
ref above: in the article it states "a source said the pilots were alerted to the problem by a monitoring system and then heard and felt the vibration from the stricken engine, they shut the engine down, did a 180-degree turn and returned to Perth".
My opinion is such: Vibration meters alerted the crew, get a high vibe level - perform a precautionary shut-down, return to Perth. Engine gets changed and the people don't get freeked out along with what now is obviously a difficult procedure to determine "what inspections are necessary"?
In a perfect world this is what "should have happened" but probably did not. The crew got alerted and before you knew it (check-list out and performing it) the Fan blade separated. Large fans require maintenance every so often for lubrication, inspection, balancing, overhaul.
I suspect this is a maintenance related issue.
As far as landing at the nearest suitable airport vs what probably was a coaxing of the operator for the FLIGHT CREW TO RETURN to Perth where the company handed out bottle water and $20. vouchers to a group of emotionally changed passengers in need of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome DEBRIEFING WITH QUALIFIED EMOTIONAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL. (dramatic changes in life experience often occurs to individuals with PTSD in short time. Marriages, relationships, addiction, phobia's etc etc).