THE PLT HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED THE AMPHIBIOUS ACFT, HAD RECEIVED 6.7 HRS DUAL INSTRUCTION & WAS INDORSED FOR SOLO FLT. DURING A X-COUNTRY FROM ELIZABETHTON, TN, HE LANDED AT RICHMOND, KY & PURCHASED 23. 8 GAL OF FUEL. ON THE NEXT LEG TO LAFAYETTE, IN, HE MADE SOME HDG & ALT CHANGES TO AVOID WX. ALSO ON THAT LEG, HE RECALCULATED HIS FUEL CONSUMPTION & ESTIMATED HE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL TO CONTINUE TO WARSAW, IN. AT LAFAYETTE, HE MADE A MINOR REPAIR, THEN TOOK OFF WITHOUT REFUELING. WHILE EN ROUTE TO WARSAW, THE ENG LOST POWER. THE PLT RESTARTED IT, BUT IT RAN ONLY 2 TO 3 SEC, THEN WOULD NOT RESTART. HE BEGAN AN EMERGENCY, WHEELS-UP LANDING IN A WHEAT FIELD, BUT SAW A POWER LINE & DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH SPEEDTO FLY OVER IT. WHILE FLYING UNDER THE WIRES, THE FLOATS HITA BANK & THE PLANE CRASHED. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS. GASKET MATERIAL WAS FOUND IN A FUEL SCREEN, BUT LATER, THE ENG WAS RUN WITH THE MATERIAL IN THE SCREEN & IT RAN NORMALLY. APRX 145 GAL OF FUEL HAD BEEN USED IN 8.2 HRS OF FLT, WHICH INCLUDED MANY LANDINGS.