Not an accident as such, but I seem to remember that there was a situation on a Trans Canada?/Air Canada flight some years ago, when there was a fire in the washroom caused by a cigarette being put in the waste bin. Someone else will have the full info, no doubt.
No doubt. And that full info is contrary to what you "seem to remember".
are there documented and proven cases of accidents or crashes caused by cigarette smoking or the disposal of smoking materials?
No. Not one. Zero.
A couple where it was suspected (AC797 above) and Varig at Orly, but no definitive evidence. Other unexplained in-flight fires could conceivably have occurred as a result, but again never proven (which is obviously harder to do the longer ago they were).
And before I get flamed by the cult, I support the smoking ban and think offenders should be punished. But I do not invent spurious reasons why.
There, I hope that's this year's smoking-crashes-airplanes thread over and done with.
