Of course every crash is different. In MH17 for example a lot of lightweight items were thrown out of the plane at altitude, fell at a relatively low terminal velocity, and hence survived.
How much impact forces can a typical EPIRB withstand? 100Gs? 200Gs?
Consider that an airplane hitting the ground at a "mere" 270 kts has an impact force of 3,400 Gs -- which is the basis for blackbox requirements.