Hi Matt
Your translation is very good! I think you can say both meanings for "by accident" as you said.
So,
偶然に彼の椅子に座った。or
誤って彼の椅子に座った。
We need to find the meaning by seeing the flow of conversation.
As to "by mistake",
There is no implication of "coincidence". So we can say simply,
誤って彼の椅子に座った。
I hope my answer helps you.