I am certainly not saying that you are wrong lomapaseo , although I don't believe that compressor blade failure in itself to be that likely to have caused all these turbine blades to have been spat out.
Compressor related problems can stem from VBV and IGV linkage failures , or most commonly , a 10lb meat and feather bomb finding its way in and causing a compressor surge , but these wouldn't necessarily cause major damage to the HP/LP turbine blades.
Anyone who has worked good old P&W JT-9D's will know that you can get a compressor surge by just looking at the bloody thing , afterwhich , once the engine has ceased rocking on its pylon and scaring the cr@p out of everyone in the vicinity , they just carry on turning.
I am still putting my money on a "rattly" combustion liner though.
But remain fully mindful of the fact that this is all speculation. Albeit very balanced and professional speculation.
With view to tdracer's location , he may be the guy who gets first dabs at the real cause.
Was out at Everett WA in '01 doing pre-delivery insp. on a B.744 for an English airline with silver fus./red tail and loved the Boeing guys "can do" attitude to everything..
