Yes, "MS" stands for "MIL-SPEC".
The accident report that I have mentions no conclusions as to the why of the accident due to privacy regulations. However, the factual findings in the report show nothing wrong with the aircraft.
The only conclusion I can come to about the cause is OBE or Overcome By Events. He let the airplane get ahead of him. It's really odd because he had over 1600 hours of time in the F-15C and was the Wing training officer.
Unfortunately, he was killed in a similar crash attributed to OBE at Langley AFB in the mid 80's.
For people looking for a bit more modern alternative to the B8 grip, check out Infinity Aerospace at
http://www.infinityaerospace.com/infgrip.htm They're not cheap at $150 a pop, but they're high quality and you can buy switch parts from them for a LOT less than anywhere else. The milspec coolie hat for instance is $90. From Infinity, you can get 'em for $15.