The family of an investment banker who died in a helicopter crash in the Andes have seen off an Appeal Court bid to strip them of their right to multi-million-pound compensation.

Gerrards Cross father-of-two, Tomas Dusek, 37, was one of a dozen executives killed when a chartered helicopter crashed into the Mama Rosa mountain in Peru and burst into flames in 2012.

Mr Dusek's wife, Angela, and their young children, sued his London-based employer, StormHarbour Securities LLP, saying it failed in its duty to ensure the flight was safe.

And a judge last year ruled the company fully liable for Mr Dusek's death in the "high risk" flight over extremely challenging mountain terrain towards Cusco.

Mr Dusek, formerly of Donnay Close, died alongside 11 other executives and two crew members who flew into the Andes to observe progress on a billion dollar hydro-power project on June 6, 2012.

The Sikorsky S58-ET helicopter got into difficulties at 16,000ft and crashed into Mama Rosa, before catching ablaze.

The accident was caused by the crew's "disregard or lack of knowledge" of the helicopter's limitations and the unforgiving terrain, a judge ruled last year.

At the Court of Appeal last week, StormHarbour's lawyers argued the judge's decision flew in the face of reason.

They said Mr Dusek was a "high level employee with great autonomy", who was not averse to taking risks, and was able to decide for himself whether to get on the flight.

And the firm argued it was "wholly unrealistic" to carry out a risk assessment of events on the other side of the world from its base in London.

However, top judge, Mr Justice Baker, handed final victory to the family when he ruled StormHarbour's appeal "hopeless", on Friday (June 24).

The anything but routine flight across the mountains, which tested the helicopter right to its limits, was "inherently dangerous", he said.

And, however independent-minded he may have been, Mr Dusek would have obeyed an instruction from StormHarbour not to get on board.

The firm "knew or ought to have known" of the risks involved but "no inquiry was carried out at all", added the judge.

StormHarbour had breached the duty of care it owed Mr Dusek as his employer and that caused his death, he concluded.

The amount of his family's compensation – which is expected to be a seven-figure sum – has yet to be assessed.