In this story:

• Pilot's conversation 'very professional'
• Submarine picks up beacon signals
• Somber journey to rocky coast
• 'It's not supposed to happen to you'
• Crash victim's brother dies of heart attack
• Body parts wash up on shore
• Related sites and stories

PEGGY'S COVE, Nova Scotia (CNN) -- As families of the victims of Swissair Flight 111 made somber journeys Saturday to the rocky Nova Scotian coast to look out over the ocean where their loved ones died, Canadian authorities released transcripts of the final conversations between air traffic controllers and the doomed plane's crew.

Also Saturday, a submarine may have identified the location of the plane's flight data and voice recorders, the so-called "black boxes" that could provide important clues as to what caused the tragedy.

Portions of transcripts of conversations between the pilot and air traffic controllers, as well as the radar track of the plane's route, show that the plane turned from its normal path and was on course for an emergency landing at the Halifax airport after smoke began filling the cockpit Wednesday night.

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CNN's Jim Clancy reports from Nova Scotia
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But the pilot, then at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet (3,000 meters), told controllers he didn't have enough distance to execute the landing. He then made a sharp, 200-degree turn away from the airport, trying to reduce altitude and dump the plane's fuel.

Just after completing the turn, the pilot informed controllers, "We have to land immediately," which was the plane's final communication.

Six minutes later, the jet, which had been en route from New York to Geneva, slammed into the North Atlantic, killing all 229 people on board. Radar shows that just before the crash, the pilot made one last, sharp circular turn, presumably to get back on a path toward the airport.

Canadian officials say the plane was about 400 nautical miles (460 miles/736 kilometers) from New York and about 70 nautical miles (80 miles/128 kilometers) from Halifax when it first encountered trouble. The pilot requested permission to "deviate" to a "convenient place" because of smoke in the cockpit.

The Canadian Transportation Safety Board holds a news conference Saturday

While the pilot had initially suggested returning to Boston, about 300 nautical miles (345 miles/552 kilometers) away, controllers suggested Halifax, which was much closer, and the pilot readily agreed.

"All of the conversations were very professional," said Vic Gerden, the chief investigator for the Canadian Transportation Safety Board. But he said communications became less clear in the flight's last stages, suggesting the pilots may have donned smoke masks that affected their speech.

Saturday morning, in what could be an important development in the investigation, a Canadian submarine detected signals from a beacon attached to the black boxes, which is designed to help people find them in the event of a crash.

Divers were sent into the area for a more extensive search, but they eventually suspended their efforts as water conditions deteriorated.

Lt. Phil Webster of the Canadian Navy said waters at the site where the signals were detected are about 190 feet (58 meters) deep, with visibility of about 15 feet (4.5 meters). Diving is to resume Sunday.

On Saturday, under blue skies and a brisk breeze, small groups of family members, some clutching bouquets of flowers, made their way along the rocky coast near the lighthouse in Peggy's Cove, about seven miles (11 kilometers) from where the plane crashed.

They had arrived in Halifax Friday on chartered flights from Switzerland and the United States and were brought to Peggy's Cove in buses to gain what comfort they could from getting near the crash site.

Police and soldiers kept the media at bay as the mourners moved along a path through the rocks, holding onto each other, some sobbing or shivering in the breeze. A woman wrapped in a blanket handed her baby to a companion and ran past a barricade toward the sea, only to be stopped by grief counselors who led her back to a tent.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police deployed boats to take wreaths to the crash site and bring back jars of sea water for relatives who wanted to keep them as a remembrance.

A few mourners chose to speak with journalists.

"My father would have wanted me to be here," said Claire Mortimer, 45, of Berkeley, California, whose father, John Mortimer, died in the crash. "It's ironic that he has died in the ocean that he loved.... In an odd way, it's very comforting to me to come here and see this beautiful place."

"I think most people are resigned that their loved ones are with their God and their maker," said Tim Larson of East Hartford, Connecticut, whose wife's uncle, Victor Rizza, died in the crash.

"You hear about this stuff and you see it. It's not supposed to happen to you, and when it does, it hurts," he said.

Nadia Pico, whose sister died, said, "At least I know where she is. She is in a beautiful place, like Switzerland. She should be in Switzerland, but she is out there."

Later Saturday, a private memorial service for family members was planned at a Halifax hotel. On Sunday, a service is to be held in Peggy's Cove, though a site had yet to be chosen because the community's church was too small.

Also on Sunday, authorities plan to let family members view victims' personal effects.

In a sad subplot to the crash tragedy, the brother of one of the Swissair victims died Saturday after suffering a heart attack en route to a memorial service in Zurich.

The 37-year-old man, whose identity has not been released, was traveling on a Swissair flight from Chicago to Zurich with other family members early Saturday morning when he told the flight crew that he was in distress. Two doctors gave him emergency care on the plane, which then made an unscheduled stop in Toronto.

The man died shortly after arriving at a Toronto hospital.

Investigators continue to collect debris from the crash site. So far, the biggest piece of wreckage recovered is only about the size of a car roof, a testament to the destructive force of the crash.

Investigation at the crash site continues

Small pieces of debris and body parts continue to wash up on the shore, collected by a contingent of 250 Canadian soldiers. The Coast Guard is using airplanes and a ship with specialized equipment to map the debris field.

About 40 Canadian investigators have been joined by an additional 40 investigators from the United States and Switzerland. Gerden said they still have no idea what caused the cockpit to fill with smoke.

Pathologists working at a hangar in a nearby military base are continuing the grim job of trying to identify victims, a difficult task because the remains have been dismembered. Family members who made the journey to Nova Scotia are being asked to provide medical records and DNA samples for comparison.

Nova Scotia medical examiner Dr. John Butt said the cause of death was "impact injuries," based on preliminary examinations. Toxicology tests should reveal if passengers in the cabin breathed smoke, which could be an important clue in determining the cause of the accident.

Despite the reports of smoke in the cockpit, RCMP officials say none of the debris collected so far shows any signs of fire.

Correspondents Jim Clancy, Carl Rochelle and Bill Delaney and Reuters contributed to this report.