ANN UPDATE 12.28.05 1515 EST: Officials now say that it was component fatigue, and not a collision with a bird, that caused cracking in the windscreen of Oprah Winfrey's private Gulfstream and forced it to return to the Santa Barbara airport.

"There was no bird involved, but the pilot did tell my captain that he felt it was a fatigue thing with the glass," said Battalion Chief John Ahlman, a Santa Barbara City Fire Department spokesman, to the Associated Press Tuesday.

Alas... no movie deal, or TV miniseries. However, ANN understands there are talks underway for a spinoff of a certain highly successful television franchise, titled "Desperate Windscreens."

A Gulfstream, departing from Santa Barbara CA's airport, Monday, was forced to return for maintenance after a midair collision with some form of flying wild-life.

Normally this does not make much news, but since the bizjet was carrying Oprah Winfrey and her boyfriend, it's gotten escalated a bit in media reports. No one was reported as having been hurt in the incident, which occurred around 12:30 p.m. Monday just after the GulfStream had departed Santa Barbara Municipal Airport for parts unknown.

The aircraft suffered damage to the windshield which will reportedly require replacement before the aircraft can be returned to service. The Santa Barbara Municipal airport is based on the coast of California and fights a continuing battle with birdstrikes and wildlife incursions that occasionally threaten aircraft using the facility, as noted by Santa Barbara Fire Department spokesman John Ahlman, "This is not a totally unusual thing. We see these things pretty frequently."

The identity of the bird involved in the accident has not been disclosed though it is rumored that a number of entertainment officials are looking for the fowl's next of kin in order to proffer a three picture deal... (grin).

FMI: www.gulfstream.com