Date: 201409
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ORD.Airport, IL
Aircraft: A319
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
Aircraft component: Cockpit/Cabin Communication
Component problem: Failed
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty); Flight Attendant In Charge
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Troubleshooting; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Detector: Person Flight Crew; Person Flight Attendant
When detected: In-flight; Taxi
Result: Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff; Flight Crew Returned To Gate; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Human Factors
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: Upon taxi out to runway [two aft] flight attendants noticed that the lights in the aft galley came back on after we were seated and ready for departure. The two flight attendants in the back attempted to contact me via interphone however interphone was inoperative. Cabin lights were switching between on; off; bright; some on; half off; half bright; half off. Flight Attendant B made her way to the front of the cabin to alert me to the lack of power and we both noted the inability to control the phone as well as the lighting from the front of the cabin. After I too realized that I had no communication with the flight deck as well as the cabin crew in the back of the airplane; I slipped a note under the flight deck door 'NO COMMUNICATION WITH YOU - NO POWER IN BACK OF CABIN' I then knocked on the door to let them know I had slipped a note under the door. By this time the throttle was being pushed forward and we began to take off. The captain then aborted the take off and attempted communication with the cabin; to no avail. Captain and First Officer made contact with me to come to the flight deck to discuss what had happened. The captain's account of the events were that upon take off he received an alert in the flight deck that there was possible smoke in the aft lavatory - captain aborted take off and attempted to announce 'cabin crew to stations' over the PA. The cabin crew heard nothing. I did explain to the captain that there was not any smoke or fire in the cabin that could have been located nor did any alarm go off inside the cabin or lavatories. The First Officer called to have us return to the gate to have maintenance check the situation out and have the problem remedied or suspended. No passengers were removed from the flight during the process or after the process of fixing said issue with the electrical. Maintenance did however come on board and attempt to accuse the flight crew in the back of the plane of smoking - he then advised that when the smoke detector is set off; communication with the flight deck is disabled. The Captain; [however;] advised that this was not true. The aircraft was 'reset' and [we departed uneventfully].




Synopsis: When the flight attendants aboard an A319 discovered they were unable to communicate either with each other or the flight deck during taxi for takeoff they attempted to advise the flight crew by sliding a note under the door and knocking.  A subsequent takeoff attempt was rejected when the cockpit received an ultimately unrelated lavatory smoke/fire warning.  The flight returned to the gate for maintenance.