Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, the former chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), said the timing may depend on the condition of the CVR that was retrieved from the site of the crash, Bernama reported.

“The chances of the CVR being damaged are slim as it is made especially to withstand heat, fire and water.

“I was involved in the investigation into the downing of MH17, which plunged 33,000ft to the ground. We were still able to download the contents of the CVR and it was clear,” he was quoted as saying.

According to Azharuddin, the CVR is meant to withstand the impact of a crash as well as protect the chip within.

The former director-general of the civil aviation department (DCA), he also said the CVR is very useful to investigators as it helps them to carry out an accurate analysis of the incident, together with the “dash cam” footage captured by motorists who were on the highway at the time.

“At the time of the incident, the weather was good. Two minutes before landing it was said that the air control tower lost contact with the pilot and they found a plume of smoke (from the location of the incident) and when called, no one answered from the plane.

“In some of the ‘dash cam’ footage, the plane was seen plunging towards the ground and this may confuse the investigation. So we need to see all the evidence found at the scene,” he said, according to Bernama.

Yesterday, a Beechcraft 390 crashed near Bandar Elmina in Shah Alam, Selangor, killing 10 people, including Pahang local government, housing, environment and green technology committee chairman Johari Harun.

The crash claimed the lives of six passengers and two crew on board the business jet, plus a motorist and a motorcyclist on the Guthrie Highway.

The ill-fated plane was on its way from Langkawi International Airport to the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang and had been cleared to land at 2.48pm. It was believed to have crashed two minutes later.