Good Night, Dear Heart - November 9, 1957 - S2-E17
Other mistake: Sam opens Hila's diary to a page. The translated voice-over mentions the 4th of July, America's independence and how she met someone with whom she could fall in love etc... The actual text on the pages mentions only the "Beginning of July" and how "3 bears and a zebra were born in the zoo. "Anton" was there and told her about it. His entire family was there and had a lot of fun." The right-hand page mentions how they had a wonderful day visiting the castle at Chiemsee where they had lunch. (00:21:02)
Chosen answer: Per the Quantum leap page at http://www.scifi.com/quantum/episodes/season5.html. 8 August 1953: An enigmatic leap lands Sam in a Pennsylvania tavern, as his own grown self on the day of his birth. As Al and Gushie work frantically to locate him, Sam befriends a wise bartender (popular character actor McGill, who'd appeared in a different role in the very first "leap") and a group of coal miners. As a host of familiar-looking faces pass through the bar - with different identities than Sam remembers - Sam ponders his life of leaping with Al the bartender, who tells Sam he controls his own destiny. Pressed for more, Al the bartender simply shrugs and says, "Sometimes, 'that's the way it is' is the best explanation." Sam realizes he must right at least one more wrong before he can go home, and leaps back to tell Al Calvavicci's wife Beth (from "M.I.A.") to wait for Al, who will survive Vietnam and come home to her. The closing title cards state that Beth and Al have four daughters and will shortly celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary ... and that Sam Beckett never returned home.
Boobra