Date: 201208
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Aircraft: A320
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Aircraft component: Cockpit/Cabin Communication
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Detector: Automation Aircraft Other Automation; Person Flight Attendant; Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight; Taxi
Result: Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Contributing factors: Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: During a normal push back and engine start the flight attendants did the passenger safety briefing. Shortly after the briefing the Flight Attendant Panel (FAP) began to act up. The flight attendants could not communicate via the cabin inter-phones or the PA. The cabin lights and emergency exit lights began to blink off and on. Unknown to the flight deck crew; we could not communicate with the cabin either. The D Flight Attendant came forward in the cabin to communicate with the forward flight attendants and the cockpit by alternate means. When she got to the forward galley we began the takeoff roll. There were no passenger seats available so the D Flight Attendant sat on the floor against the bulkhead in the forward galley until we were airborne. We had a short taxi to the runway. The First Officer (pilot not flying) made his PA to the flight attendants to prepare for departure and we were cleared for takeoff. We lined up on the runway; transferred control to the First Officer (now pilot flying) and the takeoff roll went normally. After takeoff; the flight crew got an ECAM for 'SMOKE Lav Det Fault.' We ran the ECAM and checked FOM. This is a crew alert ECAM and refers the crew to the reset procedures in the FOM. Although there is a reset procedure and it says it is permitted in flight; the reset procedure specifies 'on the ground' only. As we finished the ECAM procedures; we were interrupted by a knock on the cabin door. A pilot was on the jump seat and asked if I wanted to let them in. I recognized that the lav smoke detectors may be some sort of distraction so I said; 'No' and tried to call the cabin via the interphone. There were no 'dings' and no answer. I tried again; still no answer. I was concerned about a possible fire that was undetected so we let the B Flight Attendant in. She explained what had happened with the FAP and the cabin/exit lights. I explained that we had a smoke detector fault (not an indication of a fire) and asked her to check the lavatories for smoke; heat or any indication of fire. I told her while she did that we would try to reset the communication system (CIDS reset). We did the CIDS reset and the A Flight Attendant came back to the flight deck after the lav check and reported that there was no indication of a fire. I told him the reset procedure may take up to 4 minutes and to report back to us whether it was successful or not. We discussed alternate means to contact each other in the event that the reset did not work and he left the flight deck. We got a call from the cabin about three minutes later that everything was working normally. The reset also cleared the SMOKE Lav Det Fault. I entered the reset into the aircraft logbook. This event went well; all the crew members doing the best they could under the circumstances. My only concern was having the flight attendant on the floor for the takeoff. Immediate action by the flight attendants MAY have helped avoid taking off with the D Flight Attendant away from her station but they acted quickly as they identified the problem and would have had time to contact the flight deck before takeoff if the taxi was not so short.




Synopsis: A320 Captain describes CIDS (Cabin Information Display System) fault that renders all intra aircraft communications inoperative along with emergency exit lights blinking. This is discovered by the flight attendants during taxi out but they are unable to relay the information to the flight crew prior to takeoff. Once airborne the Captain is made aware and a CIDS reset cures all the problems.