East Coast Jets Flight 81 crashes near Owatonna Degner Regional Airport in Owatonna, Minnesota, killing all eight people on board.

East Coast Jets Flight 81 was a business jet flight operated by East Coast Jets that crashed on July 31, 2008 while attempting a go-around at Owatonna Degner Regional Airport near Owatonna, Minnesota, killing all eight occupants on board. The flight originated in Atlantic City International Airport, and was scheduled to land in Owatonna. The crew made a go-around attempt after the aircraft touched down, but it overran the runway, hit the instrument landing system localizer antenna at an altitude of approximately 5 ft (1.5 m), stalled and crashed, with the main wreckage coming to rest 2,400 ft (730 m) from the runway end.

Owatonna Degner Regional Airport is three miles northwest of Owatonna, in Steele County, Minnesota. Its IATA identifier "OWA" comes from the first three letters of the city of Owatonna. The airport is used for general aviation.

Owatonna is a city in and the county seat of Steele County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,420 at the 2020 census. Owatonna is home to the Steele County Fairgrounds, which hosts the Steele County Free Fair in August. Interstate 35 and U.S. Highways 14 and 218 are three of the main routes in the city.

July 31 is the 212th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 153 days remain until the end of the year.